My kid went to college on the opposite coast. There were sometimes direct flights that actually in total took less time than flying to places in the middle of the country.
3 hours of air time easily translates into a full day of travel because you have to get to the airport well in advance of the flight, and then you need to get to the college on the other end. It’s not a three hour trip.
Now…having said that…my kid never had trouble flying the distance, and didn’t mind spending the day flying because she really liked her college. Also, she only did it a couple of times a year.