>I hate this sentiment. Not every degree is going to lead to a high paying career, but knowledge is worth having in it's own right. If people are passionate enough spend four years studying art history or poetry or underwater basket weaving then I'm glad we are sharing and preserving that knowledge in our culture.

There's probably some non-zero value in learning underwater basket weaving or whatever, but I don't see why it should be publicly funded. I don't see any fundamental difference between someone wasting 6 figures on an useless degree, and someone wasting 6 figures on a useless hobby.