I don’t think ‘racist’ (although I suppose that’s possible too) so much as arrogant and self-absorbed. It’s sort of like the discussion about Professional Military Education in general and Squadron Officer’s School in particular on the Military thread. Whether you did SOS by correspondence, in residence, or not at all, is pretty much irrelevant to what sort of leadership and talent you have as an officer, but it is NOT irrelevant to your promotability because it’s a hoop you are expected to jump through by the organization. The same might be said of college degrees and aviation

A degree doesn’t necessarily make you a better pilot and particularly with some of the truly bull$hit degree majors these days doesn’t necessarily even give you any intellectual advantage over someone that got their high school equivalence by GED, but it’s an expectation of many HR people that you have it before they’ll grant you the interview.

Should it be that way? Almost certainly not. But it’s like age limits on driving, voting, firearms, etc. Society uses age as an indicator of maturity because it’s far more easily measurable than maturity, but we all know it isn’t the same thing. I’ve known incredibly responsible young teens - and adults that I wouldn’t trust to puppy’s it my dog for the weekend. But that doesn’t change the world we live in. Getting to a major if you have a degree - at least at present - is easier than if you don’t.