How Alumni Describe College's True Value

A new book based on a multiyear study of Northeastern University students challenges the familiar criticism that higher education indoctrinates undergraduates with radical political views. Researchers followed 20 students from their first year through graduation, then caught up with eight of them five to seven years later. The findings, published in The Evidence Liberal Arts Needs (MIT Press), suggest that while professors did not impose a partisan agenda, alumni overwhelmingly described college's greatest gift as the time and support it gave them to figure out what kind of lives they wanted to lead.

Far from being molded by activist faculty, the graduates recalled being encouraged to develop their own analyses and views. They cited a wide web of influence: classmates, family, advisers, co-op employers, and particularly experiential learning opportunities. For example, Martha, who now works in ministry and youth education, credited a study-abroad Dialogue in Zambia and two co-ops with giving her a safe, low-stakes space to clarify her professional and personal values.

Riddhi, a policy adviser from a Caribbean nation, used environment-focused co-ops and courses to build an advocacy platform before moving into government. Max, who entered college on a pre-law track, shifted to urban planning after a co-op and a mentor's nudge forced him to confront that a legal career did not align with the difference he wanted to make. All three, now years into their careers, point to the mix of diverse experiences, structured mentorship, and guided reflection as what made college worth it—not any particular ideology.

What the Study Reveals About Value Formation

The study’s headline finding is that higher education is in the values-formation business, but not as critics imagine. Students are not taught a prescribed set of beliefs; rather, they are given repeated opportunities to test their own values against real-world contexts and then reflect on the results.

Challenging the Political Indoctrination Narrative

The authors directly address claims from groups like Turning Point USA. Even the alumni who came in as activists described professors as facilitators who insisted on evidence and multiple viewpoints. The study reinforces previous research showing that faculty political leanings have a negligible effect on students’ own views. Instead, the graduates pointed to a much broader collegiate ecosystem—including off-campus experiences—as the real shaper of their outlooks.

The Three Ingredients of Value Formation

Interpretation of the interviews suggests that three institutional elements made the difference: a diversity of learning experiences (co-ops, Dialogues, coursework, capstones), structured support from mentors and staff who helped students connect those experiences, and frequent, often required, opportunities to reflect on what those experiences meant for their emerging values. These building blocks, the researchers argue, can take many forms across different institutions—they aren't dependent on a wealthy co-op program or international travel.

Implications for Other Institutions

While the study is limited to one highly-resourced university, its framework is intentionally replicable. The authors urge colleges to make values clarification an explicit, not accidental, part of the curriculum, with scaffolding that helps students articulate how academic and co-curricular work is shaping their sense of purpose. The findings also reframe the “return on investment” conversation: graduates felt their education paid off not just in salaries but in lives aligned with what they actually care about.

Implications for Educators and Students

  • For colleges and universities: Explicitly design structured reflection points—such as ePortfolios, mentorship debriefs, or capstone projects—that ask students to articulate how experiences inside and outside the classroom are clarifying their values. The study’s alumni consistently pointed to such moments as pivotal.
  • For students and families: When evaluating a college, look beyond job-placement rates. Ask how the institution helps students explore diverse roles—through internships, community work, or study away—and how it supports them in connecting those experiences back to personal and professional purpose.
  • For critics and policymakers: Treat claims that campuses push a uniform political agenda with skepticism. Multiple studies, including this one, find that the real developmental story is about students learning to form and test their own views, not absorbing those of their professors.