"For me, the return on investment is that my kid will have a wonderful four years of intellectual exploration and stimulation. That’s what I always wanted for him. How much he earns afterwards is not important to me; I hope he will be happily fulfilled in whatever career he chooses for himself and in his life overall, and that the time he spent in college honing his thinking and writing and exploring ideas will help him to live a more intellectually satisfying life.
But that does not mean that other families should all think like my family members do!"
This. Very well said.