The Majority Of Republicans Think Colleges Are Bad For The U.S., Poll Shows

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

    One could write a book to fully address this question. There are many ways in which they contribute positively and many ways in which they contribute negatively. I am not comfortable approaching it as a simple yes or no.

You're joking? You seriously think that the existence of American universities has an ambiguous effect on the US as a country?

That anyone would even consider that is one of the most moronic things I've heard. Jesus Christ.

Would you say that still if colleges suddenly started acting like Bob Jones or other Creditless Christian Schools or if University of Phoenix types became even more prominent than they already are?

Actually, Bob Jones just last month completed the requirements to become fully accredited by SACS, which is the accrediting agency for colleges and universities in this area.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Gustaf, PiT,
Part of the problem seems to be that you two are using the term "university" in different meanings.

Gustaf is using it in the sense of "any and all formal higher education" whereas PiT is using it in a more specific sense of broad spectrum liberal arts schools that'll teach any subject to any student, especially those schools that don't give a rip whether the student is improving their financial prospects so long as they get paid. Medical schools need not be part of a wider liberal arts university. So getting rid of universities hardly means getting rid of medical schools.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It totally depends on the program and degree  in my opinion

Many of the liberal arts degree for example I believe are bad for the country (gender,racial , religious studies for example ).

Me taking RELS 3755 On the Divine was bad for the country!? Gimme an effing break.

How much did you end up paying for the privilege of taking that course? The major reason to learn the liberal arts via a college education instead of self study is so that it can be part of your credentials. That's even true for quite a few STEM courses. Beyond getting a credential, the only other thing gained from the collegiate setting academically is that you are in theory following a curated syllabus of courses that ensures you have a comprehensive view of your chosen field of study. Back in the 12th century, if you wanted access to knowledge you had to go to where the knowledgeable people were, namely a university. But this ain't the 12th century, it's the 21st.  There's zero need for colleges as places to learn. They're places to gain a credential that shows that you have learned.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'm not a pure utilitarian. I wasn't denigrating spending time or effort on that religious studies class, but money since a roughly comparable learning could be obtained more cheaply outside a four-year college environment.