Sure but it very rare for an account with substantial follower numbers not to be a blue check (unless they became prominent during a time when Twitter had suspended the verification program for new blue checks). Blue checks also get recommended as people to follow more which inflates their numbers so it is a feedback cycle.

I would wager that a blue check on Twitter is more valuable and monetizable than most 4 yr degrees.

Blue checks typically mean large (sometimes rabid) twitter followings. Sometimes that’s fine but often their engagement in a topic can really derail it. Blue checks in practice mean more than just “verified account”.

Side note: anonymity can often improve the quality of online discussion. See: “breaking the social media prism”