For the record, I’m not American nor live in the US, but I have a 19-year-old son who started attending the University of Chicago this year, studying economics. Just the tuition itself is $70k. My husband and I are lucky enough to be able to afford it - I still believe it’s an outrageous amount of money to attend college.
Profits.
It used to still be a worthwhile investment though. These days… it can be, but it’s not guaranteed. You also can learn most things online for free, so what is it even getting for you, really?
Connections.
But that only if you are willing to push for them, and so many kids are only there purely bc their parents send them, like an extended daycare or continuation of high school. I’m not saying it’s not worthwhile, but it requires a VERY serious commitment, and so many people are not willing to live up to that.
See also the recent discussion in !AskUSA@discuss.online Is college in the USA worth the financial investment?