Yes, they do. Having a degree opens more doors, there is no denying that. Degree doesn't offer enough proof of your skill, but this doesn't mean it is pointless.
I do not agree. It's nice to have options, but one doesn't not need, and practically speaking cannot take advantage of, infinite options.
If maximizing the number of doors opened were the best choice, then a logical extension to "Do Developers Need College Degrees?" is "Do Developers Need A CS Degree From <'best' CS school(s)>?" Clearly they don't. When we're given infinite time, energy, and other formerly finite resources, I might feel differently.
If I am hearing you correctly, you are saying that a CS college grad (maybe with STEM grad with programming) is more likely to get the opportunity to interview than someone with only bootcamp coding experience. I agree with that. The former has been coding for at least a few years, and the latter a few months. There's no substitute a the right kind of foundation built from experience.
That being said, when hiring for a junior role, it's hard to spot the "right stuff" on a resume. If you figure out how to spot that, let me know :). Or keep it a secret and sell me that as a service! There's a reason that currently most recruiters can't charge a commission for placing junior candidates. It's hard enough for you to spot the junior dev you want to hire in a sea of applicants you've never spoken to. A recruiter who isn't you will have an even harder time figuring out what you want.
No, they don't. They do however need to invest a lot of time into learning and must be willing to for the remaining of their career. I don't have a degree and I have been at this for 15 years making above middle class wages for the past 10. I know many other developers in similar situations. The common factor is self motivation and the willingness to always learn.
