You are right. Right when I get a job out of college I want to start saving up. You can have 500 grand more if you save in your 20's instead of your 30's. Maybe even more.
My daughter and I have a contract. After she graduates college she will pay me the amount due on her college loans. (I work 70+ hours a week and make money so she was not eligible for scholarships even though she was top 3% in her class.) I will repay the loan and invest the money she pays me for her in trust. The money invested will be hers when she's 30 as long as she's kept her end of the bargain. She thinks it's a great deal (so far)