Typical academic attitude if carried a bit to extremes. They’re almost all parasites sucking on the taxpayers’ labor anyway.
My wife had an uncle who was a biology professor at a non-prestige small college. A wonderful man, full of good cheer and warmth; I bet his first semester students learned more than most kids at prestige schools.
The whole prestige school/research paradigm distorts education and is a disservice to undergraduates.