Did you run the numbers? Look at the outcomes for those with just a high school diploma, they are very grim. If the internet has re-written the rules it sure hasn't shown up in the data yet.
To draw any conclusion off this, you'd need to compare people who were considering college but do not attend versus those who were considering college but did attend - even if they didn't graduate. Only then do you have a metric that you can use to represent the ROI of attending college.
The traditional education system has led many astray without providing successful alternatives.
You can easily make what an average lead developer makes if you pursue a career in the industrial operations industry (power plant operator, bulk electric system operator, etc.)