# cracked.guide vs a computer science degree

> A computer science degree and cracked.guide compared: credential, breadth, depth, cost and time, and how to close the gap without going back to school.

A **CS degree** gives you a credential, breadth across the field, professors, peers and internships, at a large cost in money and four years. **cracked.guide** gives you none of those, for free, and in return goes deeper on algorithms and language implementation than most degrees do. It is not a substitute for the credential. It can be a substitute for the knowledge, and more.

## At a glance

| | CS degree | cracked.guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Credential | Yes | No |
| Breadth | All of CS: systems, theory, math, electives | Narrow on purpose: languages and algorithms |
| Depth in algorithms | Usually one or two courses | Two years of Knuth, with exercises |
| Compilers | Often one elective | Two interpreters, verified by tests |
| Cost | Tuition | Free site; books and games extra (Crafting Interpreters is free online) |
| Time | About four years, full time | About 8 to 12 hours a week for 145 weeks (or half pace, 290), alongside a job |

## The depth claim, honestly

Jonathan Blow said of Knuth's Volume 3, in a [clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxCB-GBpmIQ) that inspired this site, that if you go through it for real you will know far more data structures than anyone with a CS degree. That is a strong claim, and the important words are "for real": the exercises, not just the reading. Most degrees do not have time for that depth. They have time for everything else.

## Who should pick which

If you can get a degree and want the credential, the network and the breadth, get the degree. If you cannot, or you already have one and want to go deeper, cracked.guide is a free way to build knowledge most graduates do not have. For breadth without the degree, see [OSSU](https://cracked.guide/vs/ossu). For the general question, see [how to get good without a degree](https://cracked.guide/learn/get-good-at-programming-without-a-degree).

## Questions

### Do I need a CS degree to be a good programmer?

No. You need years of building hard things and studying fundamentals deliberately. A degree is one structured way to get some of that.

### Will cracked.guide get me a job like a degree would?

It gives no credential. It gives skills and verified work you can show, which matter more as your career goes on.

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Source: https://cracked.guide/vs/cs-degree
cracked.guide: A free, dated 145-week path to getting genuinely cracked at programming.