Public v Private, which to choose?

Publish date	2007-09-17
Available Articles	Full articles without membership

Trying to choose a university to study at is hard enough as it is. In researching which programme is the best fit for you, there are considerations of cost and academic standards. For distance learners, there are also questions of how the institution is perceived and the method of delivery. But in some countries, particularly the US and Japan, there is a further consideration: do you choose a private or public institution? What are the differences?

Private colleges and universities constitute more than two-thirds of higher educational institutions in the US, with almost five million students enrolled on their programmes. The sector can be further divided into profit and non-profit institutions. Somewhat confusingly, both private and public universities can be divided yet further into two and four-year colleges.

In the US, most public universities are operated by the government. Every US state has at least one public university to its name, while the largest states have more than a dozen.

Historically, most of the prestigious universities in the US have been private. This is reflected in the common perception that private institutions offer a higher standard of education. However, public universities such as the University of California, Berkeley, are also considered highly prestigious: these have been dubbed ‘Public Ivies’ [after the Ivy League private universities].

State support of public universities has been declining, forcing many public universities to seek private support. Some professional graduate programmes in law, business, and medicine rely almost solely on private funding.

Private universities offering online degrees include Walden, Phoenix and Regis. At this type of institution, fees are usually more expensive than at public schools, because they don’t receive funding at either state or local level.

Such universities are funded by tuition fees, gifts from alumnus, corporate donations and endowments. Students from across the US are usually charged the same tuition – only international students will pay more.

Both private and public universities can be nationally accredited. Some private universities are not accredited and their degrees are not formally recognised.

Public university programmes are more likely to focus on job-specific, vocational curricula, and to serve lower-income and minority students. Private universities are usually more suited to students who wish to enter professional fields in health, law, education, engineering and business.

Average total tuition and fees at four-year private colleges and universities come to just over $20,000. At four-year public schools, tuition and fees are around $6,000. However, Private colleges are not always more expensive. For example, an online MBA at Phoenix costs around $23,000, while a similar programme at the public Indiana University costs $36,000.

In Canada, most universities are established and operated under provincial legislation, but a few of the oldest were founded by Royal Charter. All major Canadian universities are publicly-funded but maintain institutional autonomy, with the ability to decide on admission, tuition and governance.

Keywords: cost, academic standards, public universities, private universities, state support, Walden, Regis.

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