I'm a 23-year-old self-taught software developer with about two years of professional experience. I was able to get into software development without a degree or vocational training, learning through independent study and work experience. I'm now considering a B.Eng. in software engineering while continuing to work full-time. The program can be completed at my own pace, and half the cost would be covered. My share would be about €200 per month for three years, with the full payment plan lasting six years.
I'm passionate about learning, so this isn't about whether I want to study. I'm trying to decide whether a formal degree is the best use of my limited time and money. It could provide a stronger theoretical foundation, help with automated application screening, and prevent degree requirements from limiting future opportunities. On the other hand, I'm already gaining experience, building a small self-employed business on the side, and could instead spend the time on projects, targeted study, or certifications.
How much does not having a degree matter once a developer has several years of professional experience? If you were in my position, would you take the partially funded degree or focus on work experience and independent learning?
5 Answers
There isn’t one universal answer. Some experienced developers never need a degree, while others lose opportunities because a company, visa process, or résumé filter requires one. At two years of experience, you haven’t yet reached the point where experience completely outweighs credentials, so the degree provides more value now than it would for someone with ten or fifteen years in the field. I’d speak with current students, check the program’s graduation and workload expectations, and make sure the qualification is recognized before committing.
A degree is useful for more than proving that you can code. A good program can give you structure and exposure to topics that are easy to skip when learning on your own—algorithms, operating systems, networking, databases, mathematics, and software design. Those fundamentals may not be necessary for your current role, but they can make you more flexible later. Since the program is flexible and subsidized, this sounds like one of the situations where the credential has a reasonable return, provided you verify the school and don’t take on an impossible workload.
Once you have substantial experience, the degree usually matters much less. Hiring managers care about what you’ve built, the systems you’ve worked on, and how well you solve problems. I’ve worked with senior engineers and managers who never studied computer science formally, and experience was far more important than credentials. If the degree would seriously slow your career or burn you out, continuing to learn independently could be the better choice. Just understand that some companies will still reject applicants automatically without one.
At 23, with only a couple of years of experience, I’d strongly consider taking the degree, especially because half the cost is covered and the monthly payment is manageable. It won’t guarantee a job, but it can keep certain doors open, help with automated résumé filters, immigration requirements, and employers that use a degree as a basic screening criterion. You’re also less likely to have major family or financial obligations now than later. The main question is whether the workload is realistic alongside your job—don’t sacrifice your health or performance just to collect the credential.
I’d compare the opportunity cost rather than asking whether degrees are universally worthwhile. If the program costs roughly €200 a month and can be completed slowly, it may be a relatively cheap form of career insurance. If it requires giving up valuable work opportunities, your side business, or your health, then the calculation changes. Certifications and personal projects rarely replace a degree for formal screening, while professional experience usually does over time. You could also pause the side business while studying instead of trying to maximize all three paths at once.
That’s exactly my concern—I’m already working full-time and trying to get a small business started, so I’m not sure whether adding school would spread me too thin. The flexibility and partial funding are what make the degree tempting.