To learn secular studies, not for the sake of making a living or for practical purposes but just for their own sake is against Halachah, and belittles the value of Torah learning, which you should be spending your time on instead. The Rama (YD 246:4) rules that a person may only learn secular subjects “incidentally” but not as an educational pursuit. Rav Elchonon Wasserman (Koevetz Shiruim 2:47) and Rav Boruch Ber Lebowitz (Birkas Shmuel Kiddushin) both have responsa on this topic (both responsa were, incidentally, written for Rav Schwab ZT’L.) They both conclude that for non-Parnasa or similar reasons, it is prohibited to pursue a secular education, as per the Rama above. The reason is because of Bitul Torah and/or Kovod HaTorah. Rav Moshe Feinstein ZT’L also absolutely prohibits college in a famous speech delivered to his students, translated and titled “Counsel of the Wicked” (New York: Vaad LeHaromas Keren HaTorah, 1978), as well as a teshuva in writing on basically the same grounds as Rav Elchonon ZT’L and Rav Boruch Ber ZT’L.
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