Anina
Is there a significant difference between going to a public or a private school for undergrad?
Hi! My name is Anina and I'm a high school senior interning at CareerVillage. I have a friend who only applied to private schools, because they "care" more about their students and give them more attention, while public universities care more about research than undergraduates. Meanwhile, one of my best friend only applied to public schools, for their low cost. Personally, I was stuck trying to pick between a private and a public university. In your opinion, what are the benefits and drawbacks to a public v. private education, and does it really make a significant difference? #college
2 answers
Adam Korengold
Adam’s Answer
Hi Anina! This is a really good question to ask, given how much college costs.
I personally feel that attending an "elite" private school is over-rated. Full disclosure: I got a bachelor's and a master's at Ivy League colleges, but my MBA is from a lower-tier (but still excellent) university. However, I worked at a large public university in a Top 20 economics department at the beginning of my career -- so I've seen both worlds.
What a private school gives you is: well-known professors, good facilities that are paid for by tuition and large alumni donations, and a prestigious name on your resume. They also give you a big bill to pay.
What a public university gives you is: often very good facilities as well that are paid for by a large alumni network; also well-known professors, and a smaller bill to pay.
Public universities are often a lot larger but the tradeoff is that the alumni network is even larger.
A prestigious private university often isn't all that it's cracked up to be. While alumni networks can be helpful, you may often be referred to people who aren't much more experienced than you. Also, some people may actually take a negative view of people coming from an elite school. They may think that you're overqualified, or you think you are overqualified. Some employers would actually rather have someone from a public university than a private university because they think they have less of an ego and will work harder.
In the end, where you went to school doesn't make as much of a difference as whether you made the best of the opportunities you had. Did you take courses and have experiences that built your skill set? Did you show that you have knowledge, skills, and abilities that relate to the jobs you seek? Have you shown that you are reliable, a good collaborator, and can get the job done?
I'm not saying not to apply to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. -- those are excellent schools, and if you have the opportunity to go there are many reasons to do so. But don't feel that you can only be successful if you go to an elite school-that's not true. You can reach for the stars from anywhere on Earth.
Laura Bea
Laura’s Answer
I will add though that the biggest difference between public and private universities is cost. You'll be paying more tuition or general education costs with a private university than a public one. Many private universities in return offer smaller classes, more specialized resources, and more opportunities for networking with professors or educators. Nonetheless, this isn't to say you won't find these options at a public university because most likely you can and will if you actively participate in your university and look out for these types of resources. It is all about doing the research for particular schools and seeing what kinds of things you want out of an undergrad experience, and whether you are willing to/able to pay for it.
Regardless of whether you go to a public or private university (I went to a private university for undergrad) you still will and can be successful, as Adam said.