Find a Job You Really Want In
Going to college is a major decision in and of itself, but once you do decide to go, you then have to decide where to go. The United States has approximately 5,300 colleges and universities, which can easily lead to choice paralysis as well.
Every college is different, and it’s unlikely this article will help you decide which one is just right for you. However, it will tell you the differences between public colleges and universities and private colleges and universities, which may help point you in the right direction.
The difference between a public college and a private college is actually quite simple. It all boils down to funding. A public college or university gets the majority of its funding from the government, be it federal or state. A private college or university, in contrast, gets the majority of its capital from private sources. This can be donations from alumni, endowments, or tuition.
Key Takeaways:
| Private College | Public College |
|---|---|
| Private colleges are funded by private sources, such as alumni donations, endowments, and tuition. | Public colleges are largely funded by grants and other governmental stipends. Though they also get money from donations and tuition. |
| Private colleges tend to be smaller initiations with fewer options for majors and other activities. | Public colleges tend to be large institutions with many options for majors, extracurricular activities, and postgraduate research. |
| Due to their smaller size, private schools tend to be much more personalized and intimate. On average, class sizes will be smaller, and professors will have more time for individual students. | As public schools tend to be very large, the learning environment tends to be quite impersonal. Professors can have over a hundred students in a class, which leaves it entirely up to the students to ask for help or build a rapport. |
| As their funding is from private sources, private schools tend to be expensive to attend. | As their funding is from public sources, public schools tend to be much more affordable. |
| Due to not getting government funding, private schools can be religious; women only, or heavily favor a particular race or ethnicity. | As they receive funds from the government, public schools are required to be inclusive and work towards proportionate representation in gender, race, and ethnicity. |
What Is a Private College?
A private college is a college that is entirely funded by private sources, which include tuition, donations from alumni, and endowments. Due to the fact that their funding comes from private sources, private colleges tend to have higher tuition than public ones.
Some other key points about private colleges include:
-
Private colleges don’t have to follow certain regulations. Private colleges also have the benefit of not having to follow government regulations on acceptance rates or diversity.
This means that any college that is still a women’s college, is religious, or is otherwise exclusive is going to be a private university. Once a school accepts government funding, they have to be inclusive and meet certain standards in order to keep getting the grants.
-
Private colleges tend to have fewer students. Also, as most of these schools are privately run, they tend to be smaller than the public ones. They often have a smaller number of students, a more limited number of majors and programs to choose from, and fewer extracurricular activities.
This isn’t altogether a bad thing, as most private schools have small class sizes, allowing the professors to focus more on individual students and makes the learning experience less impersonal.
-
The most esteemed colleges are typically private. Many private schools will have more esteem than public ones. This isn’t true of all of them, of course, but many of the best-known colleges and universities are private.
This includes the Ivy League schools, such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Other well-known schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (better known as MIT) and the California Institute of Technology (better known as CalTech) are also private.
What Is a Public College?
A public college is a college that gets the majority of its funding from federal or state sources. This is largely in the form of grants, but there are other stipends and types of funding that public institutions get.
As public colleges take government funding, they are required to be coeducational and aim for proportionate racial representation. There aren’t usually quotas, exactly, but they are subject to affirmative action and other laws and regulations that promote inclusivity and fairness.
Public colleges and universities, as a rule, are going to be large. Many of their main classes will likely have several hundred students attending, which makes it difficult for the professors to have any kind of personal relationship with most of their students. However, due to their size, they will also offer more programs, extracurricular activities, and classes.
As a rule, public schools are going to have less prestige than their private counterparts. That’s not to say that they aren’t excellent schools, and there are some exceptions to that rule, such as the University of Virginia (UVa), which is sometimes called the Ivy League school of the south, and the University of California-Berkeley.
Tips for Choosing a Private College or a Public College
Now that you understand the basic differences between a public college and a private one, it’s time to consider which one is a better fit for you. Here are some things to look at.
-
Cost. As a rule, private colleges cost more than public ones. If cost is a serious factor for you, then this is a major point in a public college’s favor.
-
What program you want to pursue. Private colleges tend to have much more limited options. If you’re unsure of your major or think you might change it partway through, consider the options that you have. In a public school, there will likely be many more options for you if you change your mind.
-
Whether you plan to do any extracurricular activities. Private schools tend to have much more limited extracurricular programs. With that being said, public schools have a much larger student body to choose from, which may limit the number of people who end up on the team. So choose based on the sport or other activity you want to participate in.
-
Financial aid. As public schools foster inclusivity, there are often many more financial aid options and programs available at a public school. If you worry about how much money your degree will cost and how you can pay for it, public schools give you more options.
-
Prestige. If the prestige of the school is important to you, private schools tend to have more of it. But this will depend on the school. There are many private schools that have no real reputation for prestige, and the prestigious ones tend to be notoriously selective and expensive.
-
Class size. As a rule, public schools are going to have very large class sizes, as the schools themselves are much larger. If you want a more personizlied or intimate class experience, then a private school is likely a better choice.
Private College vs Public College FAQ
-
Is a private college better than a public college?
No, a private college isn’t inherently better than a public college. The main difference between the two is how they’re funded. Private colleges are funded by private sources, while public colleges are funded by the government. This means that private colleges have more freedom in their choices.
Some of the prestigious schools are private colleges, but it isn’t because they’re private. UC Berkeley and the University of Virginia (UVa) are both public universities, but they’re considered excellent schools and very selective.
-
Are private colleges harder than public colleges?
No, private colleges aren’t necessarily harder than their public counterparts. Some of the hardest schools are private, such as MIT, CalTech, and Harvard, but there are many private schools that are in the same range of difficulty as your average state school.
-
Is private college really more expensive than public college?
Yes, private colleges are more expensive than public colleges. This is because private colleges rely on tuition to help fund themselves, while public colleges get a lot of their funding from grants. Of course, pricing can vary greatly depending on where you are, your financial situation, and which school you attend.
Author
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
