Maybe "a broad, high-quality liberal arts education, one that promotes critical thinking via exposure to the sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts" was irrelevant to them instead of being "good and too expensive".  

The 'critical thinking' seems to me to be more like regimented, politically correct thinking when I glance over at the Duck U side of the world today.   

They, like Berkeley, no longer desire to hear opposing concepts or views.   The elites have determined the desired correctness and all others are apostates at best and heathens most often.