I know incredibly smart and wise people without a degree, and I also know incredibly dumb people with a degree. A degree is not a guarantee for intelligence and wisdom, but it is most often a guarantee for vanity covering shortcomings.

Almost all knowledge (and more) can be learned for free on the internet nowadays. I'ts only for a specific category of professions where a degree is mandatory. I never expect a great professional to have a degree, because the real defining quality cannot be learned at a university. You cannot express what you are not. You cannot become an Einstein by doing 5 years of university, but they love to make you believe that shit.

I am not against higher education at all, but the term 'degree' is pretty worthless if you want to measure mastery.