What I see far too often with those young men who opt for a college education is just as you describe: “...too many have no ambition, no work ethic, no desire to succeed.”
They have been pounded down and defeated by the system before they get to that level.
Its not just college level, but blue collar as well - free stuff every where makes people lazy and coming off several generations that never worked because of welfare makes it worse.
We live in a culture of free stuff where work is not valued and only serves as a temporary step to get more free stuff.