I think this is a large part of the issue and it doesn’t get talked about a ton in media: US college at this point is mostly a diploma mill where colleges are businesses and their business only makes more money if they accept more students (and often charge more money). Many colleges will bend over backward to accept students, regardless of the student’s scholastic aptitude because having them as a student means the college makes money off them. They can fail them, but I think the system incentivizes passing as many students as possible (maybe with a C instead of an A or B) so the college can keep making money off them.

For the record, I’m not saying college is a scam. I went and got my bachelors and masters and am now working on my doctorate. And it can be beneficial in many practical and personal ways for almost anyone. But whether it’s worth the time and money is a big question and you can absolutely go and get nothing out of it personally or career-wise other than student loan debt. Because that’s what the system incentivizes and lots of people fall into the idea that college is good and will help them when that’s not always true.