• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home

Best College Values

Helping You Find the Best Colleges at the Best Price

By Jeremy Alder

Should I go to a public university or a private college?

When it comes to searching for colleges, there’s a huge difference between private and public schools. The biggest difference between the two is obviously cost. Most private schools can cost up to twice the amount of some public schools. Yet the benefit some private schools can offer students is well worth the price. Find out if a private or public school is the right fit for you.

Private Colleges

Class sizes at private colleges tend to be much smaller than those at public colleges. This is probably one of the biggest arguments that private colleges can offer in favor of their system. Most private colleges offer class sizes under 20 students. Public colleges could offer class sizes that reach over 100 students per class. The private college can reduce the teacher-per-student ratio exponentially. This means that students and teachers are no longer nameless face to each other. Students can easily ask questions and make personal relationships with teachers in private colleges.

Private colleges cost much more than public colleges. As long as the college can put its money where its mouth is, they can prove that they can offer services that supersede the services of public colleges. Most private colleges offer services that all but guarantee graduates will be able to find jobs or at least find the resources they need to procure a job after graduation. Since private colleges’ tuition rates depend solely on the ability for graduates to benefit from high tuition costs, many private schools can offer services that public schools just can’t offer.

Kids travel from all over the world to attend private colleges. Depending on the school, the college could attract kids from several demographics, many different states and several different countries. Kids could end up going to school with many high-profile students, including students from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Students could conceivably learn about different cultures simply from their encounters with other students. Many students who end up at private schools through scholarship are often considered a benefit in their own right; many students who end up at a private school are so brilliant, you’d want your kids to associate with them.

State Colleges

The most lucrative benefit of a state school is the cost. Most state schools offer amazing in-state rates to students. Many state schools also offer much better rates for students than private schools. Yet students will pay the price for state schools in other ways. The class size of a state school is much larger than the class size of a private school. Many students end up getting lost in a sea of other students in the process. There is also a lot of funding options and grants for students attending state colleges, so many public schools attract students from middle-income brackets.

Most state schools offer a larger range of degrees than private schools. Private schools often specialize in certain types of degrees. Most private schools specialize in liberal arts degrees or degrees in science or marketing. Students generally need to decide on a degree of study before making a commitment to a private school. Yet students entering a public school don’t usually need to think about a major for the first two years of the program.

One last consideration has to do with the income gap faced at many private schools. Many public schools accept students from a variety of financial circumstances. Most private schools cater to wealthy students. Many students from lower income backgrounds don’t feel like they fit in private schools because of the income gap and end up leaving to find classmates at public schools.

Primary Sidebar

2016 Best College Values Awards

  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Master’s of Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Business
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Business

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
  • How do I find out what scholarships are available for me?
  • What is the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan?
  • Can undocumented immigrants receive financial aid?
  • How does financial aid work if my parents are divorced?
  • Is financial aid available for homeschooled students?
  • What is the FAFSA and where do I find it?
  • Do I need to know which school I will attend before I apply for financial aid?
  • What are the different types of financial aid available?
  • How do I know if I qualify for financial aid?
  • Should I go to community college first?
  • Would an online college be good for me?
  • How early should I start looking at colleges?
  • How important are college rankings?

Featured Articles

  • Most Affordable College in Each State

Best College Values Awards (Residential)

  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Master’s of Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Business
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Business

Best College Values Awards (Online)

  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Administration and Leadership
  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Curriculum & Instruction
  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Special Education
  • 15 Best Value Online Masters of Education—School Counseling and Psychology
  • 30 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Chemical Engineering
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Biomedical & Bioengineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Civil Engineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Electrical Engineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering & Aviation
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering

Online Affordability Rankings

  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Special Education 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Business Administration 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Social Work 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Communications 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Forensic Psychology 2017
  • Top 10 Affordable Online Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Master’s Degrees in Educational Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Nursing 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in General Psychology 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master of Social Work degrees 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master of Early Childhood Studies degrees 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Supply Chain or Operations Management 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Elementary Education 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Marketing 2016
  • Top 10 Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Reading and Literacy Education 2016
  • Top 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in International Business 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Early Childhood Education 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Public Administration 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Criminal Justice 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Software Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
  • How do I find out what scholarships are available for me?
  • What is the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan?
  • Can undocumented immigrants receive financial aid?
  • How does financial aid work if my parents are divorced?
  • Is financial aid available for homeschooled students?
  • What is the FAFSA and where do I find it?
  • Do I need to know which school I will attend before I apply for financial aid?
  • What are the different types of financial aid available?
  • How do I know if I qualify for financial aid?
  • Should I go to community college first?
  • Would an online college be good for me?
  • How early should I start looking at colleges?
  • How important are college rankings?

Copyright© 2025 · Best College Values
Sitemap