“I have a German friend who says that education in Germany is worthless because it is free and thus nobody values it.”
I lectured at a French university where, at the time, tuition was free. The students seemed to have very little purpose and no motivation to complete a degree. Of course, their motivation was also affected by the bleak job market they faced.
I knew a guy who worked for a tech company that hired an engineer on H1B. He had completed his PhD. in Europe, essentially for free.
His colleagues all had Masters degrees in engineering and no less than $30K in student debt.
A literal fist-fight broke out over the hiring of this guy
once the others learned he got his education for free.