What's the difference between a private and public college/university?

Question

What's the difference between a private and public college/university?

Answer 1

the biggest difference is cost.  Private schools can recruit better teachers and the facility is maintained better.  The number one thing to consider is your preferences.  Public universities will have a more diverse socio-economic population.

Answer 2

In terms of quality, there are great public universities and great private universities. There are also bad public universities and bad private universities.  Academically, public universities like Berkeley, Virginia, Michigan, Georgia Tech and UNC are up there with the best universities -- though just below the elite ones (no public university is in the top ten).

But you need to be careful.  Lots of public universities aren't very good.

In general, the biggest differences are that public universities are less expensive, have larger student bodies and have a lot more red-tape due to governmental bureaucracy.