“The only reason to go to college or university is to learn a trade or profession.”
Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik strongly disagreed. They saw secular education as an *inherent* good.
That said, it isn’t for everyone. There are lots of challenges in and outside the classroom. One should consult with a good rav to determine when one is ready. Many gedolim have been university-educated — going all the way to some rishonim — but prior to the 20th century every single one had extensive Torah education prior to starting university. Today there are frum-friendly environments such as YU and Touro that support dual curriculum and they produce frum Jews with good secular knowledge as well as some outstanding talmidei chachamim.