Steve Jobs: How Dropping Out of College Led to Apple’s Success

The influence of higher education on career success is undeniable. However, it’s too true that many of the most key entrepreneurs did not attend university, or dropped out before graduating. A prominent example is Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.

Far from regretting that decision, the businessman—who died on October 5, 2011—recognized that “leaving college was one of the best decisions” he ever made. He revealed this during his emotional and remembered speech to graduating students at Stanford University in 2005.

“I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor of friends’ rooms, I returned Coke bottles for the 5-cent deposit to eat, and I walked more than 10 kilometers on Sunday nights to eat a good meal once a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it,” he recounted.

Steve Jobs’ Brief Time at University Before Founding Apple

Steve Jobs began his university studies in September 1972 at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. However, he decided to leave the institution after completing his first semester, without telling his parents. He explained that he didn’t want to spend his family’s money on something he didn’t see value in.

In his 2005 Stanford speech, he recalled: “The truth is, I never graduated. In fact, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. I left Reed after six months, but I continued to wander around for another 18 or so, before dropping out completely.”

Regarding the reasons for his decision, he referenced his family history. His biological mother, Joanne Carole Schieble, was a young, unmarried student who decided to grant him up for adoption, with the condition that his adoptive parents have university degrees.

He was eventually adopted by Paul Jobs and his wife Clara. However, upon learning that neither of them had a university education, Joanne requested a court to cancel the adoption process. She ultimately changed her mind when Paul and Clara promised to pay for their son’s university tuition.

“Seventeen years later I went to university. I chose a university that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my parents’ savings, from a working-class family, were being spent on my tuition. After six months, I didn’t see any purpose in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and even less of an idea of how college was going to help me figure it out. And I was spending all of my parents’ savings that they had accumulated over their lifetime. So I decided to drop out and trust that things would perform out,” Jobs remembered.

Whereas he admitted to initially feeling afraid, he assured: “In retrospect, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.” He then stopped attending required classes and began auditing courses that interested him.

How Steve Jobs Founded Apple in a Garage

At just 20 years traditional, in April 1976, Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computer Company (now Apple) in his parents’ garage alongside Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. However, Wayne left after a few months, leaving Jobs and Wozniak as the principal co-founders.

“We worked hard, and in ten years Apple grew from just the two of us to a company valued at two billion dollars and 4,000 employees,” Jobs emphasized in his Stanford speech. The brand’s values, many years later, remain recognizable and, in a sense, a paradigm for how to do things differently in this area of technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What prompted Steve Jobs to leave Reed College?

Steve Jobs left Reed College after six months because he didn’t see a purpose in continuing his studies and was concerned about the financial burden on his working-class parents.

Did Steve Jobs ever regret leaving college?

No, Steve Jobs stated that leaving college was one of the best decisions he ever made.

Who were the co-founders of Apple?

Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne were the co-founders of Apple Computer Company. However, Ronald Wayne left the company after a few months.

What does Steve Jobs’ story suggest about the path to innovation?