of course, they can. anyone who works hard enough can succeed regardless of a degree or not.
the only point I think is that certain opportunities are restricted to the top schools. for example, it's much harder/impossible to get into top finance jobs unless you got to a top school. this is why ppl say that an MBA is only worth getting if you got to a top 10 school. but then again things depend a lot on your personal situation, your goals, your location, etc.
I think we're all saying the same thing. just looking at it from different angles.
Well said.
Do you have a business degree as well?