I was in college for a long time, about 6 years in all, from the age of 16-21.
I found the greatest advantage that art college afforded, was the environment in which to draw and paint. But, not the actual teaching itself.
I have learned more, practically speaking, from this forum than I ever did at college. That's not to say that it was a waste of time at college, it did teach me some of the basics, but it was mostly the environment and equipment that was its greatest advantage.
Something that I came across very often was the idea that sci-fi and fantasy art was to be studiously avoided. One of my tutors was infamous for using the term "spacemen" to refer to anything like that. Stop drawing spacemen!! Stop drawing spacemen!!
But here's the thing; I thought he was completely right!!
It wasn't that the genres were bad in themselves, but that it was often so distracting to the fundamentals of art. We were there to learn how to draw and paint, not how to draw and paint sci-fi and fantasy. As kids, and even as adults, we are obviously interested in these subjects. But when I was in college I needed to learn neutrally, not given to just one genre or another.
The fact that there is so much sci-fi and fantasy art out there used in films, books, comics, animations, toys and loads of other stuff, shows that they are clearly not underrated genres. They may not end up in large buildings or in stately homes. But that is not the measure of great art is it!?
I work in a college that his stiflingly specific in what it wants from its students. The standard of work is high, but the restrictive nature of its briefs and the strict end results are so deprived of individualism and creativity. In other words, the work will look great to a university, but does little for the imagination of the student.
You can view that a couple of ways. Either it is harmful to a creative student, or it is exactly what a training artist needs. A strict grasp of the fundamentals.
I am inclined to view it as the latter.