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Harvard dropout Bill Gates thinks the value of college is 'easy to underestimate'

bill gates harvard commencement
Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Bill Gates, who famously dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to work on Microsoft, said today that the value of college "is easy to underestimate."

During a Reddit "Ask Me Anything," or AMA session today, Gates, the richest man in the world, wrote

I think the value of getting a great education - that is going to college - is easy to underestimate. The most interesting jobs require a college education. The STEM related jobs are probably the most interesting although they are not for everyone. The value of staying curious - reading a lot and learning new things even after college is also underestimated. 

Indeed, Gates has always been a big proponent of expanding one's horizons through reading. In fact, he reads more than 50 books a year

It also does seem like Gates has evolved his thinking on college — despite his own status as a dropout, his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has made affordable college eduction a big priority, even as it's become a big point of policy for politicians.

Besides, in 2007, Gates returned to Harvard to accept an honorary degree. 

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