Private College or Public College?

Hello Students!

Much like high schools, colleges come in all different shapes and sizes.  They can vary in sizes, degree offerings, culture, location, and cost.  All of these factors need to be considered when deciding where to apply.

The most important thing to find out is whether or not the school is Private or Public.  This can affect all of the aforementioned aspects of college.  What is the difference, you ask?  Well, read on!
The Difference

The significant difference between Public and Private college is how the schools are funded.  Public colleges, such as state schools, are mostly funded by the government.

Private institutions are usually supported by endowments and donations from alumni, and of course, high tuition rates.

Due to this difference in funding, Public and Private institutions differ in other areas, including the aforementioned items of college all students need to consider when applying to school.  Here's how.

What it Means For You

Cost

• Since Public schools are funded by the state, they typically have lower tuition rates than Private Universities.  This is because they have consistent support from the government, and do not have to worry about its livelihood because of that.
• Private Schools will more often than not be the more expensive option between the two.  This is due to the fact that they do not rely on government funding (for the most part) and will rely on endowments and your student tuition to fund the University.

*NOTE:  Do not let the more expensive Private institutions scare you away because of the cost.  If these Universities can offer you something that Public schools cannot, then do what you can to get there.  A lot of times, the Private institutions can offer better Financial Aid packages than the Public schools.

Degrees

• If you are a student who is not sure about what you want to major in, Public Universities will more than likely have the greater variety of degree programs.  This may be the route for you if this sounds like you.  Because Public schools are so large, they tend to have more options from liberal education to more specialized interests.
• Public schools typically have less variance in the degrees they can offer, however, they are more specialized in the degrees they do have.  Some specialize in a comprehensive liberal education, or engineering and sciences.  

Class Size and Attendance

• Public Universities will be more diversified because of their large attendance and class sizes.  Remember that public schools will be the more inexpensive option, and will have more students on campus and in classes because of that.  This means that your class can have anywhere from 100-500 students in at a time, especially if it is a lower-division class.
• They pay-off for higher tuition rates at Private College is the smaller class sizes and attendance.  In this type of setting, professors are more accessible, you are not lost in the sea of fellow students, and you have a more intimate learning environment.  Again, you get what you pay for.

In Conclusion:

The objective of this post was not to sway you students to one type of university over the other.  As long as you have the desire to go to ANY college, I am a happy camper.  The point of this post is to get you thinking about some of the concerns you should have in deciding where to earn your education.  You want to go somewhere where you feel happy and comfortable.  Asking yourself what is more important to you is a good place to start.

Do you want a more intimate classroom?  Is cost a huge factor?  Do schools offer the degree you want?  How is the financial aid awarded?  These are all questions that can help funnel you students into which type of school is right for you.  By doing this, you can begin researching the schools you want to attend and, whether public or private, you can see what these schools expect out of entering freshmen and schedule your classes accordingly.  

I currently attend an amazing Private School.  For me, this is the right situation.  I love being able to talk with my professors one-on-one on a daily basis.  I never feel like I am one of many students, I feel like my education is tailored to my needs.  Again, you get what you pay for, and it is quite expensive.  Hopefully, students, you learn to prioritize what is important to you in recieving your education, and you make your decision accordingly.  

Good luck!