Colleges want their bachelor's students to have a good chance of landing a job upon graduation. Many businesses that hire college graduates do business in other countries. Graduates that demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language are attractive candidates for companies conducting business abroad.
Colleges know that a large percentage of students will seek to study at the graduate level. Therefore, having a foreign language is of importance because many graduate studies programs also look for language proficiency. This is especially true in the social sciences, such as international affairs, political science or global studies. Students wishing to continue to master's level studies are, therefore, expected to have studied a foreign language while completing their bachelor's degree.
Many colleges require foreign language studies for students who are majoring in international affairs, diplomacy and related fields. In these areas of studies, students will be required to successfully pass a proficiency test prior to graduation. Because the proficiency examination requires more than just a basic understanding of the other language, students elect to study abroad and learn about the culture while boosting their proficiency in the language. Many students enroll in a university for college credit that will be transferred by their home universities. In such a case, the university will require prior study in the language of the foreign university.
Colleges are not only in the business of preparing you for a job, they are also interested in your personal growth. The skills that permit you to successfully learn a foreign language are also skills that let you be successful in other academic and non-academic settings. For example, retention of vocabulary requires a good memory, something that can be useful in other endeavors. Therefore, the skills will help you in other aspects of your life.