It’s a points-based system — once you earn enough points, you’re selected for an interview. A bachelor’s degree is heavily weighted, so it takes a significant amount of leadership and flight experience to offset not having one. Yes, you can get hired without a degree, but traditionally it required thousands of hours of TPIC and some additional qualifications, such as check airman, chief pilot, or similar roles, to make up for the absence of a degree.

If you’re serious about Southwest, I’d recommend working on the degree. In addition to receiving credit for your FAA certificates and taking classes at a local community college, you can also test out of many credits through CLEP and DANTES exams. Schools like Thomas Edison and Excelsior College don’t have residency requirements, so you can transfer in as much credit as possible.