<p>“Certainly, the college experience consists of a host of intangibles that cannot be reduced to mere numbers.” -Robert Morse, Editor, US News Best Colleges</p>
<p>The true benefits of higher education are rather ethereal. The purpose of all the statistics is to somehow assess how much a school can help you grow intellectually and personally. Prospective students have to decide what is important. The statistics are simply indicators for the real benefits.</p>
<p>Some people seem to appreciate the intangible benefits more than others. They value things like campus culture, academic climate, faculty relationships, sophistication, role models, character-building, and so on. It is difficult to put these invisible attributes into words. </p>
<p>Others seem more focused on the bottom line: getting a credential at the lowest cost that will land the best job. Some seem to believe that the four years in college matter much less than the years after college. </p>
<p>I happen to value the intangibles. I think the four years you spend in college are more than a means to an end. They are important in their own right. </p>
<p>I wonder what others think about this. </p>
<p>What are the intangible benefits of a college experience?
How valuable are the intangible benefits?
Which schools have intangible strengths?
How can a prospective student evaluate the intangible qualities?
How much money are the intangible qualities worth?</p>