Perhaps this is abnormal, but I found it was totally possible to go to college in the US debt-free if you 1) Do well in high school, 2) Are willing to go to an in-state school, and 3) Don't mind working part time.

Dozens of my friends in my senior highschool class went on to do just that. Good grades got them at least a partial in-state scholarship. Then some part time work (often just in the summer) made up the difference. The tuition was fairly low because they stayed in-state. This was in Florida and Georgia in the early 2000's. Have things really changed that much? Or maybe those states were just an anomaly.

Frankly, I think in many ways college is overrated. However, getting a degree with minimal debt in a field with good job prospects still seems like a great option. However, spending big money to study at a "top" school in a field with average job prospects seems like a poor financial decision. It is a shame such a major financial decision is made when people are so young.