Hello, what is the difference between a private and public university? what are the benefits of each? is one better than the other? Thank you.
A public university gets a direct state operating grant. Private universities do not.
First off, neither is automatically “better than the other”. There will be colleges of all calibers in both categories.
The main difference is that public universities are subsidized by state tax payer’s money. So there are usually in-state and out of state rates for students. If you are a resident of the state the college is in you will get a cheaper rate and you will more likely get better financial aid if you qualify. Most public universities do not give aid to out of state students.
Private universities and colleges are funded privately and so tuition and financial aid opportunities are the same whether you are in or out of state.
Neither can be said to be better as a class.
Should you be seeking geographical diversity, private colleges often enroll 70% or more of their students from out of state.
Well resourced private colleges are often more affordable compared to out of state public options.
Agree that any assessment as to which school is “better” cannot be made solely on the basis of it is a public or private school.
The main benefit of a public school is that if you are a state resident it is often a less expensive option to get a good college education/experience… But keep in mind that attending a private school with merit/financial aid can in some cases prove to be cheaper than the public options.
I’d suggest that you get some college guide books and start reading up on the types of college options available.
If you’re a good student with above average test scores, then your in-state public “flagship” may well be the school to beat. Major state universities usually are relatively affordable for middle-class residents of their states.They usually cover major arts & science fields but also offer pre-professional training in fields such as agriculture, architecture, business, engineering, and nursing. Most students attend public colleges or universities within 100 miles of home.
If you’re an excellent student (top 10% of your HS class), with SAT CR+M scores >= 1400 and well-developed extracurricular activities, then you may prefer to attend a selective private school. About 60 private schools claim to cover 100% of demonstrated financial need, so their net costs may be competitive (for low to middle income families) even with in-state public school prices (http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2015/09/14/colleges-that-report-meeting-full-financial-need). These colleges often offer smaller classes and more personal attention than state schools. They may have better facilities and less reliance on teaching assistants or adjuncts in teaching undergraduates. They tend to draw fewer than 30% of their students from within their own states. However, almost all these ~60 “full need” private schools are more selective than most state universities.They tend to be smaller than state universities and often don’t cover the same variety of majors. Typically, about half their students are full-pay students, which means their families must be quite affluent to afford their ~$65K annual sticker prices.
These are generalizations. As others have mentioned there is a big variety among both public and private schools with respect to size, cost, setting, academic quality, prestige, etc.
from your question it sounds like you’re brand new to the process. I suggest reading thru a good admission book to understand the whole process; types of college out there (you haven’t asked about liberal-arts college vs a university yet, but that distinction exists too), financial aid, the application process, what to look for on a college visit, interviews, etc. A book I like is “Admission Matters” and there are several other good ones in print.