[dqdo]

If you want to study computer science, then I think that you are in luck. CS is one of the few fields where most (if not all) the information that you need is freely available online. Some other fields such as civil engineering or medicine have less material available online and therefore you have to attend college for those majors.

Unless you plan on working for a large corporation or the government, your credentials are not really that important. Credentials were important in the last century because graduating from college was so rare and knowledge was only taught at the university. I view credentials as a screen mechanism used by HR departments who don't have the time or energy to understand the strengths of a candidate.

If you are determined enough you can learn anything. You can look at the curriculum at the top schools (i.e., MIT) and find books and online courses that match their major requirements. One of the things that you will find is that what is taught in school is a very small subset of skills that you need. Once you finish with the academic courses, you real lesson begins in a far more unpredictable environment-- the real world.