NYC college students learning ‘How to Steal’ — as class teaches ‘line between private property and public good is drawn in blood’
As tuition costs soar and student debt continues to climb, many Americans are increasingly questioning whether a college degree is worth the investment — and some of the courses being offered at top universities are adding fuel to the fire.
At The New School in Manhattan, students at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts can enroll in a sociology seminar titled “How to Steal.” Despite the provocative name, the course isn’t about petty crime. Instead, it explores the ethics, politics, and aesthetics of theft in a world shaped by inequality and contested ownership. According to the catalog, students will visit places “where capital is hoarded and value is contested,” including museums, banks, and grocery stores.
The course, which earns four credits, costs over $10,000 in tuition alone — part of the school’s $60,240 annual tuition fee, not including housing.
Elsewhere, elite universities are offering similarly unconventional classes. Columbia University’s “Game of Thrones” course uses the fantasy series as a lens for studying empires and satisfies a key requirement of the school’s core curriculum. At Princeton, students can take “Gaming Blackness,” which explores race and identity through video games. Yale offers a class on Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny, which counts toward Humanities and Arts credit.
These courses may appeal to students interested in cultural studies or media analysis, but critics argue they reflect a shift away from traditional academic priorities. At Brown University, students can take a course on “Prison Abolition as Policy,” which includes making TikTok videos to promote ideas. NYU offers courses focused on themes of identity, such as “Disability and Sexuality in American Culture” and “Indigenous and Latinx Speculative Fiction.”
The costs are staggering. Columbia’s total estimated yearly cost exceeds $96,000. NYU is slightly higher at nearly $97,000, and Brown tops them all at $97,284. Harvard has even offered a course titled “Taylor Swift and Her World,” which, while popular, raises questions for those wondering what kind of job such a course prepares students for.
These offerings have prompted a broader debate: Are universities still fulfilling their mission to educate, prepare students for careers, and form well-rounded citizens? Or have they strayed too far into niche and trendy territory?
Recent surveys suggest growing skepticism. A 2025 Gallup poll found that 23% of Americans have little or no confidence in higher education, and another 33% have only “some.” A separate March survey by Indeed reported that over half of Gen Z college graduates view their degree as a poor financial investment.
Further analysis of university syllabi from 2008 to 2020 shows a shift in what students are reading. Karl Marx was more frequently assigned than Shakespeare or Plato. Postmodernist thinker Michel Foucault appeared more often than Enlightenment philosophers like Kant or Locke. And while modern authors like Toni Morrison have important contributions, their prominence over historical figures like Aristotle, John Stuart Mill, or Frederick Douglass signals a trend away from classical foundations.
Many educators defend the evolution of the curriculum, arguing that universities must stay relevant and reflect the complexities of the modern world. But critics warn that a lack of balance — and a disregard for traditional academic rigor — could ultimately undermine both the value of a college education and the trust society places in it.
As the price of college continues to rise and the job market grows more competitive, students and parents alike are left asking a difficult question: What exactly are we paying for?
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