The following letter to the editor appeared in the Friday, Dec. 15, 2006, edition of The New York Times: 

To the Editor:

“Weighing the Costs in Public vs. Private Colleges” (Education page, Dec. 13) provided opinions on whether the cost of private higher education is worth the price. But the most compelling argument was found in Thomas L. Friedman’s Dec. 13 column, “Learning to Keep Learning.”

Mr. Friedman predicted that the great nations of the 21st century will be those that “develop the best broad-based education system” that produces the most creative people.

Private liberal arts colleges demand the best academically and engage the whole student. It’s the kind of education I want for those tackling tough issues on my behalf: diplomats seeking Middle East peace; doctors treating my illness and me as a person; lawyers advocating and pursuing justice.

I would also include authors helping me understand the human condition; manufacturers making excellent products and caring about their workers and the environment; and business leaders using the global economy to produce greater wealth and standards of living in sustainable ways.

Worth it? Yes.

Daniel F. Sullivan

President, St. Lawrence University

Canton, N.Y., Dec. 14, 2006