The reason we're getting that is that colleges are being flooded with unqualified, disinterested students.
Want to inprove education? Have state universites cut way back on enrollment, and be FREE for those whose SATs or ACTs are in the top 10%, they've taken four SAT Achievement tests and scored in the top 80%, have taken a certain percentage of challenging academic courses, and have no criminal record. Forget the GPA...that's rigged and the grades are too high in many districts.
Then let the private schools compete for what's left. If anyone is dumb enough to go into debt for an education when the truly qualified and the wealthier/connected youth won't have debt, I really can't save them from themselves.
But I would provide for them by bringing shop and job-training classes back into the high schools.