The problem with college is that many people go off to some city they’re not from, then go take a job in some other city that’s not their college. I’m still best friends with my college buddies, but I see them pretty infrequently given how much we’ve all moved chasing careers.
College can increase lifelong friends at the same time that more people go to college and more people have fewer friends than ever. It's possible that there's confounding factors, like a general decline in socializing.
I agree with your comment. Personally, the vast majority of my closest friends live in other states and we rarely see each other in person, but when we do get together it’s like we were never really apart (thanks to the internet and similar interests that keep us in constant communication)
I think the geography factor is a major one and often gets overlooked. My sister went to NYU then stayed in NYC after. She ended up with tons of lasting friendships and a huge network, since a high % of NYU grads do the same. It seems far superior to going to university in some college town where everyone scatters to the four winds after graduating.
The problem with college is that many people go off to some city they’re not from, then go take a job in some other city that’s not their college. I’m still best friends with my college buddies, but I see them pretty infrequently given how much we’ve all moved chasing careers.