everybody had the equivalent of a 4-year degree in liberal arts
nobody is saying spend 4 years in liberal arts. The point is that a 4-year degree that would give you a wide cultural background (and no, I'm not talking talking-to-trees, I mean things like classics, history, art, etc) and allow you to enjoy life more. Doesn't have to take any extra time. You can do it anytime you like. I just think that there is a great benefit to the things offered under the title "liberal arts" -- much more than we analytical people like to admit.
Yes, short-term, get something that works for you. These short-term, long-term value decisions is exactly why it's such a difficult conversation to have.
Sadly, we've created a system of higher education that I think has developed a system of courseware with a very high impedance mismatch with the criteria use to decide. That just makes figuring out the usefulness of college tougher on everybody.
If you actually want to learn something, go online. Most of the information is out there.