I think that undergraduate degrees are generally viewed as the "next step" among many Americans and the ROI is generally viewed as a positive (regardless of it

I think that undergraduate degrees are generally viewed as the "next step" among many Americans and the ROI is generally viewed as a positive (regardless of it is or not). Also while you do need a work visa once your OPT has expired, PhDs can be used to get EB-2 or as part of EB-2 NIW or EB-1 applications which have much shorter waiting times than EB-3.