<p>^Most people have no interest in attending MIT or Caltech, not because they’re not tremendous schools, but because they’re “niche” schools (Caltech in particular). Among 2008 undergraduate degree recipients at MIT, ONLY 43 out of 1,217 undergraduates received degrees in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Science (not including the 35 economics majors). It appears that NO ONE received a degree in a foreign language that year. MIT defenders will say that this data (from the MIT website) does not include double majors, because MIT only lists the “primary” major (which in all cases apparently, according to MIT culture, is the science, math or engineering major, as the humanities, arts or social science major is considered “secondary”).</p>
<p>I make no value judgment regarding whether the “sciences” are more worthy than the “arts.” Rather, for most (extrapolating from my own experience as an old guy, my kids and their friends, and major distributions at most colleges), the availability of strong “arts” programs is important to most. [In fact, I think this nation needs more scientists and mathematicians.]</p>
<p>This is why I personally have a hard time considering MIT or Caltech as top national universities.</p>