Exactly. Ask high school graduates and the vast majority of their parents to explain the cost of capital and show the projected return on the college tuition (as well as the 4 years of lost opportunity not participating in the market) and you just get blank stares. They're way too focused on the social rituals of move in day and fraternity/sorority rush.
Being shown the projected return on the degree is exactly why students take on debt, because we were given assurances that the job market for this or that degree is great along with indicators of starting salaries that seem to tell you "You can afford to go into debt for this or that, because the job you'll have" (haha, good one!) "right after college will make it possible to pay off."
