<p>I think that if one is using college strictly as a means of social mobility, they’re missing out on a lot. The hard thing for universities is that the university as an institution (at least, in the old, elite colleges… lets say the AAU) is not designed to directly support society but society is expected to directly support these institutions. </p>
<p>The learning and research at universities is, in theory, occurring for more pure motives than to give students the ability to make more money, it is designed instead to foster great minds, encourage maturation, intellectualize, create life-long learners, and empower its students to be an asset to the world community. These things may lead to better jobs and upward social mobility, but that’s an ancillary effect.</p>
<p>That being said, I’m a junior, so I can’t be sure how effective it has/will be on my friends in terms of social mobility. My university does not tend to inspire people to go out and be money makers, however, and many of my friends are considering careers that won’t likely significantly change their social class. Those who came here rich, contrary to popular conception, seem to me more likely to chose paths to continue their lifestyle, and those who come from middle class seem to be more likely to choose things they find personally meaningful. That’s across a small cross section of my own observation and of course has many exceptions, so I’m not really sure how sound that assessment is.</p>