Regarding @ChoatieMom 's post…
Increasing credentialism in the job market (where many employers want to see a BA/BS degree even for jobs that do not require the general or major-related skills indicated by a BA/BS degree), in addition to the increasing cost of college (even at less expensive in-state public schools), is a driver for the increasing pre-professional / financial ROI emphasis in college decisions.
Some parents feel that if the kid is not successful by the parents’ standards (which often includes financial success), they have failed as parents. For upper middle class parents, that can be even more stressful, since the space for upward mobility is small, while the space for downward mobility is large (even though moving downward financially from upper middle class can be a very comfortable living for many). In addition, some of the kids raised in upper middle class environments may have acquired relatively expensive habits, and realize that ordinary levels of income will not support such habits, so they self-impose a drive for financial ROI or elite employment and income.