A college degree in many fields are an entry stamp to some higher paid positions. What they don't tell kids is that gate isn't reached until after 10-15 years of experience. Many people never reach it at all.

The entry level pay for college graduates also sucks in many fields. My first professional job that required a degree paid less than some of the jobs I worked to pay for college. Universities also push students into fields where they get funding for, not what the job market actually needs.

The ROI for college before entering the workforce often only makes sense if the student doesn't go into debt for it.