Is not going to college for an art career a good idea?

Hello, I’m currently in 12th grade and i’m graduating soon. I’m interested in doing jobs such as creating concept art or illustrations for a company or studio or as a freelancer. I’ve been debating if I should go to a regular college near me to get a degree since it’s beneficial for jobs, but i fear it could be a waste of money for me. The degree would give me a higher chance of getting employed, but it’s also not necessary. Art skills can be developed on your own, and there’s many resources online to learn from which is less costly than going to college. One plan I want to take is joining an art apprentice/trainee program and build my portfolio and connections from there. However, I don’t know how reliable that plan is since it might be harder than it sounds. Im also unsure that if I don’t enroll into a college, i might miss out on bigger opportunities. I’m stuck on what to do right now for my career, but im hoping that there are other plans that are better than college. are there any thoughts or suggestions on my decisions? thank you