Is a Public University Really a Better Value than a Private College?
Thursday February 5, 2009
The current economic crises has many college-bound students looking at public universities because of the perceived lower cost. Seth Allen, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Grinnell College, recommends that families carefully compare the actual value of public universities and private colleges before jumping to conclusions about cost. While the sticker price of a private college may be $20,000 more than a state-funded university, in many cases the net cost will be in favor of the private college.
In this article comparing public universities and private colleges, Dean Allen discusses issues such as student debt, student employment, and the ability of public and private colleges to respond to the economic crisis.
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Comments
Public universities are more accessible, hands down. Private institutions can bascially set or make-up their own rules as they go along, where public universities have to answer to a board of trustees who are more sensitive to the needs of the community, as opposed to wealthy alums. Also, public universities tend to have more campuses which adds to thier accessiblity and convenience. And, at the end of the day, the price tag always will win-out over so-called prestige (particularly for undergraduate degrees) because most American families simply can’t afford it anymore. I always advise high school students to take a second look at your local community college: do two years of undergrad at a local community college, and then transfer to a public university to complete your four-year degree. Private colleges are increasingly for affluent families, and they can have ‘em. Give me a public institution any day.
I’d have to disagree with Roger on some points. Not all publics are more accessible. A school like Berkeley or Michigan or Chapel Hill is far more selective than 95% of private colleges. And all private universities must also answer to a Board of Trustees. They don’t, however, have to answer to state government, something that can make a public u powerless when the economic situation is bad. Community Colleges are certainly more economical short term, but be careful–often those two years of course work won’t result in two years of progress towards a major at a 4-year. You may end up paying for three years of a private, and that’s an extra year during which you’re not earning income. And isn’t a big part of college learning to live on one’s own?–something that doesn’t happen when living in Mom’s house and commuting to school. Finally, prestige does have value–I’m a Stanford grad (where I got great financial aid), and the name recognition alone has opened all kinds of doors for me. The statement about privates being “increasingly for affluent families” is simply wrong–top schools like Harvard and Yale are actively trying to increase the proportion of lower-income students (it’s why Harvard did away with Early Decision). I’m a fan of both good community colleges and public universities, but they should be chosen for the right reasons.