Private Colleges And Universities

Students’ Guide To Choosing Between Public Or Private College

Deciding which undergraduate college or university to attend is one of the biggest decisions of a high school students’ life. Should I stay close to home or go far away? What do I want to study? Do I want to be in an urban, city setting or on a park-like campus? What entrance exams and standardized tests do I need to take? Does the school require a high SAT test score or will they accept the ACT? Do they look for AP courses or a high GPA with more extracurricular activities? How do I choose between attending a private or public college? Including a mix of public and private Colleges in the initial college admissions application list usually makes sense. There are certainly many differences to consider:

- Public
One of the biggest differences between public and private colleges is cost. Public state schools are largely supported by state taxes and are more affordable than a private university. For many state residents, public colleges are a good option as tuition is usually at a reduced rate and students might also be eligible for a variety of state funded scholarships to offset expenses, especially those with good grades and high SAT scores. Students can increase their scores by taking an SAT prep course or working with an affordable online tutor. If you choose to go to a state school nearby your home, another way to save on room and board costs is to be a commuter student.

- Private
While private colleges and Universities are often more expensive than a public college, students don’t necessarily have to put their dreams of ivy on the back-burner. Financial aid is one option to consider as are scholarships and grants that significantly cut your actual cost. Some believe that private universities offer many advantages over public colleges such as small class size and offer more personal attention than public colleges. Students looking for a wide range of majors and lots of school spirit may assume a public university is the best option. Post college, private school alumni are usually very active and can be of great support in networking and job searching.

Whether a student chooses a public or private school, if they limit their search to only public or only private colleges they can be missing out on a great experience. It’s important to look carefully at each individual college, don’t rush to judgment and visit the school if at all possible to see and feel its energy. One might be surprised where they eventually choose to be happy spending the next four years.

–Lara Cohn, Examville Blog Contributor

About the Author

Lara Cohn is a Blog Contributor at www.Examville.com. Examville is a global online education community where users like you can connect and interact with others from around the world. Our innovative platform creates an open, virtual meeting place that allows for learning without borders. Examville facilitates online user-to-user collaborative learning at an affordable cost.

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