I was actually just thinking of this the other day.
I attended a well-regarded, "second-tier" institution. I'm grateful for the education I received there; however, in retrospect, it may not have been the best fit for me. Demographically speaking, I fit in, being white and female (the school used to be an all-women's college) - but in other respects, not so much. I'd already attended community college, and by the time I enrolled at this school, I was just a couple years older than most everyone there, already in the workforce holding down a job, and didn't reside on campus. I never advertised my age or that I was a transfer student, but being a tiny liberal arts college where everyone knew everyone, word did get around as I was this new junior in their midst, and I didn't have the sort of rapport with people that comes with on-campus living.
There was another school not too far down the road from the one I ended up going to, which I'd briefly considered applying to. It was/is an art and design college (as opposed to liberal arts) that would have probably been a better "culture fit," and most likely have had a more unconventional, diverse student body. At that school, the percentage of students residing on campus is smaller, meaning that if I'd gone there I most likely wouldn't have been viewed as much of an outsider, and other students might not have given two shits that I'd transferred my credits. I dunno... hard to say. I was, admittedly, a more offbeat, though reserved student who needed an environment where that was more of the norm. (I feel like it's pretty much a given that everyone at art college is probably pretty fucking weird). Though the school I went to is deemed pretty liberal, and touts its involvement in a lot of progressively-minded causes, I was privy to a sort of elitist, highbrow aura of stuffiness from fellow students and disappointingly, some of the faculty, who possessed what might be described as a "parlor pink" mindset that I found distasteful. So, I do have some regrets over not - at the very least - applying to that other school... Could've, should've, would've.
As to my choice of major, that's a tough call. I think I could have managed to excel at studio art, and might have enjoyed sinking my teeth into environmental science and perhaps even minoring in it, as I love botany and the natural world. In my last semester, I had room in my schedule for two studio art classes, both of which I got a lot out of, and I felt more in-tune with the students in those classes. So, maybe that major would have suited me better than theatre. It's also too bad that I didn't get the chance to study upper-level sciences such as physics and astronomy (as a kid, I loved reading about all the constellations and had glow-in-the-dark planets and stars adorning my bedroom ceiling).
Still, I think college is what you make of it, and the experiences both good and bad contribute to your own self-awareness. I did feel a sense of accomplishment upon getting my degree in the mail. It justified all of the struggles of those four semesters. Though things could have been better, I also know from hearing the stories of others who've had nightmarish experiences with their colleges, that it could've been way, way worse.