[domfletcher]

I think the point OP is making is that the people who went to University 100-200 years ago didn't have to worry about employability because they were usually from wealthy families. What has happened in the intervening time is that higher education has extended down the income scale and as such more students need jobs at the end of their degrees.

[Thriptic]

The costs have also dramatically risen, so people view their education as an investment as opposed to an interest.