The value depends on the student. There are students who know what they want to do, have little interest in spending time contemplating the world and can’t wait to get hands on experience in their field. Those kids gravitate to schools like Northeastern and Drexel. Then there are the kids who can’t wait to live the life of the mind. They want to experience, philosophy, art history, literature and think deeply about the universe and all its implications. These are the kids who fall in love with Bard, Columbia and Chicago. There is no correct answer. Thankfully, our country offers a huge variety of academic options.