But that’s not to say a prerequisite to intellectual achievement is forgoing higher education (HE) altogether. Many of history’s great minds did pursue and complete college degrees, and a college education has always carried real worth. The numbers paint a clear picture: in 1900, only about 1% of college-age people worldwide were enrolled in higher education. That started to shift in 1826, with the founding of the University of London (now University College London), which opened its doors to students regardless of religion or social class. At a fundamental level, the worth of the degree shifted alongside this new model, spreading with it across the globe.