“If you plan on working for a Fortune 500-type company, certainly as a young adult with little experience, you will not be considered for an associate-level position without a degree. I don’t care what kind of experience you have, or how self-taught you think you might be. Without being matriculated, and with a couple years’ worth of schooling under your belt, you will not be able to get an internship with most companies. “
Not true. The large portion of computer programmers do not have degrees. They self teach a language and off they go making $100,000+. I’ve known many of them.
While my sample size is small, I don't necessarily disagree with you, but many coders are hired like this as consultants and independent contractors. They often work through contract employment agencies, who receive a portion of whatever their hourly rate is. They're temporary, and once their contract or project is up, they're onto something else. It can be a living, but there is a degree of uncertainty in this employment lifestyle. It's certainly not for everyone.