<p>I presume people nowadays go to college for a combination of the following reasons:</p>
<p>1) To pursue a particular career path or field (e.g. Doctor, Engineer etc)
2) To learn more about subjects that interest them
3) To increase their future earning potential
4) To increase the range of careers which will be available to them (although they may as yet be undecided as to which career in particular they may want)
5) To avoid menial careers (obviously it is possible to avoid menial labor without a college education, but for some people none of the careers which don’t require a degree are appealing)
6) Meet a broad range of people
7) Have fun/party/pursue hobbies/Avoid the drudgery of employment for a few years
8)It’s a reason to begin moving out of their parents home (albeit often only into a dorm with parents financial backing), a step towards independence.
9) Lack of initiative -it’s what’s expected</p>
<p>I would guess perhaps in recent years the reasons people choose have possibly shifted towards the latter five, at least in the case of rich children who can afford the privilege of a college education with full financial backing.</p>
<p>I did my undergrad in the UK and only paid £1k per year tuition so it’s not quite a fair comparison but 2,3,4,5 would each have been a strong enough reason alone to attend, and 6-8 were just advantages.</p>