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<p>I don’t know about that - I personally can think of a number of students at top 20 schools who coasted their way through creampuff majors and hence obtained a degree with relatively little effort. </p>
<p>But even if what you are saying is true, then logically, the next question would be: what exactly is the social value of schools outside the top 20? The vast majority of schools in the country are outside the top 20. If many (perhaps most) students at those schools are expending little effort and learning little, then why do we have so many of those schools?</p>