It seems the trend is toward 5 years, not 3.
I was at an orientation for incoming college freshmen and their parents for a very expensive college. Some recent grads were telling about their experiences and one said that she took an extra year and went on about how worthwhile it was. Then one of the parents shouted from the back "Someone shoot that kid". The annual cost is about 45,000 per year.
College can wait or can be bypassed if one has the desire to gain practical knowlege.
Too many people destroy their talents by studying and not doing.