This demonstrates that the vast majority of college attendees are not prepared for college. I have often said that this idea that everyone needs to go to college is a sham. Students need above average SAT or ACT scores. These standardized tests are proxies for an IQ test. Students need to have a 3.0 or greater high school GPA. They need to be prepared to hit the college classroom without remedial courses in English or Mathematics. Every student should have had Calculus I in high school or be prepared to take it their first term. I also like the idea of a requirement of at least two years of a foreign language in high school. That seems to gone away. Lastly, college students need to have the work ethic to pass and excel in rigorous courses. It used to be that real majors, none of that studies tripe, had weed out courses. For me it was Calc II and Physics I & II, both of which were calculus based. If you can’t think and solve problems then you don’t belong in college.
There once was a time when many careers didn’t require a college degree. Journalism and school teacher were two. The latter simply required passing a state board. Then there are the obvious trades in which knowledge is acquired through apprenticeships and vocational schools.