I agree. When I hire interns, I do look for post-grad students over community college students because they do better in the working world as they have learned judgment and critical thinking which also substitutes for real-world experience working.

I like your thinking.

I was a college dropout, who finally went back after nearly 40 years and got my degree, which, after all of these years helped me become learned in my subject: business and project management, but did not necessarily "make" me smart. Yes, I learned critical thinking. Yes, I learned demonstrable facts about many subjects. Yes, I learned about statistical significance and probabilities. And, yes, I learned how to read critically and how to write more effectively.

But many of the opinions I held before completing my undergrad education were rooted in valid life experiences in the real world, in which I interacted with very smart, educated people and learned from them. My IQ is high, and I have taken many classes, sat many exams, and obtained licenses in financial services, investments, and insurance I am a certified Project Management Professional, which requires passing a test that many don't manage the first time, degree or not.

As you say elsewhere, it is not always right to assume someone who doesn't have a degree is "stupid." And I've met more than one stupid person with advanced degrees.

To quote Forrest Gump's mama, "Stupid is as stupid does."