I went to college in 90 and its kinda a wierd time as not to long before people would ask if you where going to college but by that time it was where you were going to college. So it was just as going to college was sorta expected. I too am blown away by that number of students but I think im thinking more of my major area where people genuinely (I think) were mostly motivated to learn about it and do it as a career. Myself I really did like the liberal arts education so was by and large equally avid in non majors classes. Thing is since then college has just become more and more this forgone conclusion and the pressure to be in a major that results in a career that pays over what one is interested in, I think is much higher. So I guess im not surprised. We really need people to be able to work and make enough to have a family on a single income without going to college (heck you can't even do that going to college now) or this stuff is just going to get worse.