You are right that only engineering, math, the sciences are worth paying for a college degree.
Literature, art, music and any of the liberal arts can be studied by an individual reading and taking a few classes.
Being immersed in most of the studies now being offered only exposes the student to lefty professors and leaves him/her saddled with debt and working in a coffee shop. Or maybe becoming some kind of angry agitator or OWS person
Unfortunately courses in those subjects (other than music, which does involve a very technical course of study) are useless because, as you say, they have been so politicized.
Oh, BS! These are complicated subjects to almost everyone--yourself excepted, of course--and cannot be readily understood by going to the library or "taking a few classes."
It seems that almost every FReeper sees higher education as job training. Yours therefore is a common and never-ending theme here.
I do not disagree that the current higher education establishment is dominated by leftist professors intent on indoctrinating students to their causes. But it did not have to be that way. Back in the mists of time one did not have a clue as to the political leanings of the professor and instead, got taught the subject matter. But that is indeed a different matter from the one at hand, i.e., can one become educated on his own? I don't think so.
You wouldn't understand the essence of higher education if it came up and slapped you in the face. You want job training and that only. Fine, set up institutes of engineering and other "technical studies" but don't call it higher education.