All your questions are "it depends". Look at the college offerings and see what is available. Many actual degrees are not for techs but for system administrators, programers and engineers. Many people I know in the field have started out working in other jobs and have not gone to college for IT/IS work.
You can learn on your own, take a few certifcate tests like A+, Network+, MCSE, and go apply for jobs.
The best techs I know did not learn the job at a school, they just love working with computers and try to learn about everything they work on.
I don't even have an associates degree in anything, much less in an IT sector, but I have been team and site lead supervising other techs and working on some high-end stuff in hospitals and drug companies. Experience counts for more than education, but you do need something to start if you are new to the field unless you get a lucky break.