NB: In colloquial US English, "college" and "university" are used interchangeably (they mean the same thing when speaking casually). To answer your question,

NB: In colloquial US English, "college" and "university" are used interchangeably (they mean the same thing when speaking casually). To answer your question, it is possible to begin studies at a college but to withdraw prior to finishing those studies. It's also possible to make such poor grades that you do not earn a degree. Keep in mind that it is expensive to attend a university in the US. Some people wind up in situations where they are unable to continue paying for their education. Most of the time, though, I think people drop out because it's hard work to earn a degree (as it should be!), and they are unprepared to invest their time, energy, and/or money into their learning. This could be because they were inadequately prepared by their previous schooling, because they had unrealistic expectations about the nature of university life, because they felt pressured to go to university when they didn't really want to, or because of any number of other reasons. I knew several people who dropped out because they burned out on recreational drugs, and several others who dropped out because they wound up having a kid (and one guy who managed to do both -_-).