Education is important and I highly value learning. I do know, however, that there are some things a classroom cannot teach you. Conversely, there are also things you cannot learn through experience that someone with knowledge and their own expertise can teach you, especially if you aim to have a well-rounded education in many areas. (Consider your professors as your mentors, sharing with you what they've learned.) While I think getting experience in your industry or field is vital to becoming better in your area, learning and obtaining an education is really the first step in teaching you how to learn. Going through the educational hoops also gives you an opportunity to make mistakes in a classroom and learn from those before making them in the "real world".

I also know not everyone needs to go through 8 years of schooling to become good at something. There are professions that require a degree (as @mattChevy points out in his blog post on the topic here), but there are also degrees that leave a lot of room for you to learn more with hands on experience. Public relations may be one of those degrees.

The Valley PR Blog also made a great point: if your undergraduate degree is not in PR, but you hope to work in the PR industry, a masters degree may be necessary. A degree in journalism, communications, marketing, and other related fields may suffice, depending on the employer.

What it comes down to is the amount of real life learning you do and the sort experiences you gain. Getting a degree won't guarantee that you find a job, which is the case for almost all degrees, but getting a degree can help to show others your dedication and ability to follow instructions. It can also show that you are interested in learning more and expanding your knowledge, which is a key component to being successful in any career. Things change, and in business things are changing at rapid speed with advancements in technology. PR has changed, and is continuing to change, but a degree can help to start you off in the right direction. Most job positions in PR require a degree, though not all companies require a degree in PR.

The moral of the story: education is important, and will continue to be important to many employers. With the generations aging and younger professionals taking over, experience, attitude, and personality will play a crucial role in the sort of advancements one can make. We will be thrown opportunities to prove ourselves and to learn as much as we can, so keep learning! Read books, teach yourself, and find something that works for you. Graduate school may not be the right place for you, but it can help you to continue your learning which should be a lifelong process. You will never know everything; no one does. A lot of the time it's easy to learn as you go, so don't hold yourself back and follow your aspirations.

What are your takes on education? Is it a necessary evil, or good for all?