Studying abroad can be as exciting as it can be anxious, especially if it’s your first time on the foreign land in a foreign learning environment. Also, the numerous choices of public and private universities can get overwhelming if you don’t know how to navigate when choosing one among the crowd.
Campus life, living quarters, and educational quality are just a few elements of study abroad to consider. Quite frankly, deciding on whether to attend a public or private university is the first step to getting into the entire planning procedure wisely.
Read on to learn more about the two categories of educational institutions and which one better suits your learning requirements.
What is a Public University?
Public universities are educational institutions owned and operated by the government. They’re completely state financed, with the majority of the funding going for infrastructure improvement and resource fulfillment.
Students have a better chance of exposure to the corporate world with innovations in study opportunities. Top-class education meets large campuses in a public university. Another aspect of studying in a public university is the student diversity and local competition.
While a majority of the seats are meant for local students, there is a considerable number of foreign students who bring diversity to the institution. Moreover, public universities have a larger capacity for admission, implying more students and an equally diverse learning culture.
Benefits of attending a Public University
The most common query of youngsters when deciding to attend a university for further studies is whether to go for a private university or public university. While getting to the final decision is a lengthy process, pondering over the benefits of each mode of study is a better way to tackle the situation.
1. Affordable Tuition
The study funds for a public university come from the state and federal governments which allows them to make tuition more affordable for students. Moreover, the student capacity is also large which means more students and thus more funds to propel their studies.
Universities accept more students from the home state to ensure capital keeps rotating within the state, ensuring the student keeps living, working, and studying without much financial strain. It’s more promising for a student to select a university in their residence area to avail of more discounts on tuition fees.
2. Consistent Educational Quality
A low tuition fee doesn’t imply cheap education as most people often think. In fact, statistically speaking, public universities have a good reputation for churning out state rankers and toppers consistently.
3. Variety of Courses
Another good aspect of public universities is the variety offered in courses and programs. Public universities are large entities, with ample funding that allows them to include and offer numerous educational courses to cater to a large student body.
Having so many options to major in can be exciting and fulfilling especially if you’re not sure which field holds your interest. Besides, you can be sure to find the major you’re looking for in a public university owing to the huge number of courses offered.
4. Hassle-free Graduation
It’s understandable that not every student can afford their tuition fees and require financial support from the educational institution. In this regard, public universities are more lenient with an affordable tuition that ensures students have a lower debt on their head, comparatively, once they graduate.
If you go by statistics, you’ll see that students pick public universities after considering how the tuition fees will affect their overall earnings and savings, thereby allowing some room to pay off the study loans.
5. Student body Diversity
While it’s true that public universities prefer having more in-state students than foreign students, there’s still a huge diversity in the student body that comes with having a large student capacity.
Each student has the opportunity to discover and experience new cultures, meet like-minded individuals from beyond their native, and learn more about people and the way they live, broadening the thought process and growing beyond just educational means.
6. Active Athletic Life
The stature of a public university allows it to focus its funds on improving and building the athletic and sport programs. Even if you’re not athletically focused, simply experiencing the camaraderie of students in various sport events is a fine college experience to have. Plus, the whole community seems to take part in your university’s sports events rather than having it limited to inter or intra collegiate functions.
7. Extracurricular College Life
The sheer number of students on campus means a greater number of clubs and student organizations a student gets to explore and be a part of while making the most of the opportunity to meet new people.
Even when it comes to sports, there are numerous clubs, fraternities, and sororities to keep a student busy besides studies.
8. On-Campus Work-Study Option
Public universities offer students a convenient way of earning on-campus while studying to allow them to pay off student loans without taking too much stress, both educationally and work-wise.
There are always opportunities to work in the science labs as an assistant, or in the gym, library, sports clubs, offices, and such for a few hours per week or as needed without interfering with studies.
What is a Private University?
Private universities are also educational institutions accredited with the same certifications and qualifications as any public university, but receive funding through selective media. Endowments, or large donations, are made to private universities by other private sources and oftentimes the student’s families.
The study environment in a private university is limited, with fewer or selected students, fewer courses, and a small campus. Student diversity exists but with less students in smaller classes. Contrary to public universities, private universities don’t offer in-state tuition which means more students are from abroad than local.
Moreover, private universities can be quite resourceful concerning degrees in athletics or fine arts since they can afford to focus on specific areas with selective funding and there is comparatively less competition with few students opting for those courses.
Are Private Universities better? Weighing the benefits
Parents seem to always juggle between the questions – why are private universities better and are private universities better? While there may not seem to be much difference between the two queries, it all boil down to what aspects of private education best suit a student’s needs.
In answer to these questions, we will go through the various benefits of attending a private university and then move on to weighing available options per your educational specifications.
1. Conducive Learning Environment
In private universities, classes are small due to a limited number of students in each section. Not having too many kids packed into a study-centered classroom ensures that the few students get to interact with each other and grow together in a well-oriented learning environment. Plus, the mentors or professors will have an easier time interacting with students and resolving queries in a meaningful manner.
2. Inexpensive Education
Contrary to popular belief, the tuition in private universities isn’t as burdensome as it comes across. Private universities offer lucrative and benefit-filled scholarships to students to ensure they fulfill their education without the tuition becoming a burden on the families.
3. Meaningful Student-Professor Bonds
In a private university, the professor to student ratio is higher and smaller classes mean the professors can focus on each student with ease. Professors remember students and help them along, be it in studies or general life issues. Students in turn value the bonds created, remembering their mentors long after college, associating them with significant life changes.
4. Direct Course Admission
In public universities, even though students might get into a college, they’ll have to apply separately for the specific course owing to the competition for admission to the program. In private universities, there isn’t as much competition for the courses which means students will get to pursue the program from the first day of attendance.
5. Networking for Future References
In a learning environment where students are familiar with their mentors and professors, it’s easier to get a reference or recommendation for jobs and internships. Since you’ve worked with them firsthand, your professors will have a frank opinion on your character and conduct, both professionally and casually thus giving your reference a genuine feel.
6. Opportunities to Boost Personal Skills
Whether you want to lead your class as the representative or get elected as a club leader or association president, the small student capacity in a private university allows students plenty of opportunities for the same. Students can work towards making changes in their personal outlook, boosting self-confidence, and develop overall leadership skills through responsible activities.
Public University Vs. Private University in USA – The Differences
Public universities differ from private universities in a number of aspects. However, the main difference between public university and private university has to be the funding received and the fee structure. Read on to get a detailed picture of the differences for your reference.
- Funding
Public universities are primarily funded by the federal and state governments where private universities are funded by private institutions, endowments, private donations, and other investors.
- Accreditation
Public universities are accredited and recognized by the national or state government where private universities are accredited nationally.
- Tuition Fee
Educational costs in a public university are reasonably low with ample funding from the government. Contrastingly, tuition fees in a private university are higher than their public counterparts.
- Admission Guidelines
The selection criteria in a public university are not as stringent as in private universities. However, the seats offered to foreign students in public universities are few and more in private universities.
- Scholarships
Both public and private universities offer numerous lucrative scholarships to students but the amount offered in public universities is less compared to private scholarships intended to help students cover the high tuition fees.
- Availability of Majors/Courses
Public universities have a host of courses and majors from which students can either pick their choice or explore other options. Private universities, on the other hand, offer few but specialized courses from which to choose.
- Teacher’s Screening
Public universities evaluate teachers based on their experience in teaching where private universities focus more on the research that professors have undertaken during their educational life and career.
How do you choose between Public and Private education?
There is no easy solution to this query that troubles many families, but there is a way to get to the ideal answer. Choosing either a public or private university is a decision that focuses heavily on personal educational expectations and requirements.
You need to be clear on what you require from your education and the benefits of which university better suit your expectations.
- Most parents look at the tuition fees before focusing on anything else. However, tuition fee is simply one aspect of education and shouldn’t hold you back from opting for quality education.
- The selection or admission criteria can be another aspect to consider since each university will have some specific criteria to fulfill. Besides, the acceptance rate in private universities is more than that in public universities owing to the competition.
- Not all public universities offer low admission fees, with some universities asking for more than reasonable rates. On the other hand, some private universities charge reasonably lower rates after thoroughly evaluating the student and his/her capabilities to excel in studies.
- In a few cases, the campus size and environment play a crucial role in shaping the character of a student. Cultural and student diversity also affect the way a student mingles with society and finds learning conducive according to their way of living.
- If you’re aiming to get into a prestigious private school, the scholastic guidelines and expectations from a student are equally high. From fulfilling prerequisites to following all scholarly terms, you need to be prepared quote in advance.
- The major or course you’re looking to get into is also an aspect to consider. Ensure the universities you’re applying to have the courses available before considering further details.
Final Thoughts
Each university, be it public or private, has its own distinction and features that suit the needs of various students, from being affordable to offering the best education possible. When deciding on the particular choice of university, don’t just judge any institution by its benefits and drawbacks.
You need to consider various parameters before deciding that a particular institution is suitable for your educational needs. Its best to include your school mentors and professors in the talk about choosing the right university.
Experience in the field matters the most when making such weighty decisions. If you’re looking for more information on all thing’s education, University HUB is your one-stop educational resource. From informational articles to detailed study abroad guides to connecting with the best educational minds, University HUB gives you the opportunity to realize your dreams.
