Why do people choose private universities if a good state school would offer a similar education?

Question

I'm not talking about ivy league private universities because I can understand why if someone had the money they would choose an ivy. I mean the private universities that are less selective.

Answer 1

California is a good example. UC Berkeley is the best public school in the nation, and it's in the same vicinity as Stanford and USC. The one big difference between public and private is the class size. In UC Berkeley it's very common to have students that number to hundreds in one class (800 was my most memorable record). This number is unheard of in private universities. The professors tend to be more attentive when it's in private universities.
But in the end it all comes down to the program that you're interested in. Berkeley has a good engineering program whereas Stanford might have a better program in other departments, and people choose the program instead of the university itself. They also look at the career replacement program at each school. Companies tend to gravitate toward schools that have the best programs. So engineering companies like to recruit at Berkeley but that is not true with the business school, cause Stanford has the better business school.

Answer 2

It depends. Are we talking about Stanford and the Ivy's? Or are we talking about schools like the University of San Diego? Typically non-prestigious private school kids are those that were lazy during high school but still have parents with enough money to pay for an education. Most of those kids would end up at community college or state university which I'm sure they'd be too embarrased to do.

Answer 3

The better state schools (Berkeley, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Virginia, UNC) are all in high demand. Many students would choose one of these schools over most private schools.

It is the huge factories that many students want to avoid. A lot of the students who are there do so because they have no real alternatives. Smaller private universities offer a different experience.

Also -- a number of the less prestigious colleges have religious affiliations -- and that may appeal to some students.

Answer 4

I chose a private university because it offered classes that were much smaller. The administration actually knows the students and my adviser is the head of my department. I tried the state school and I hated it, I never was able to get personal attention or a counselor that actually knew what he or she was talking about.
I am not bad mouthing all state schools just the one that I attended. I love my private college and I believe that it is the best choice for me. By the way, I attend Antioch College in Yellow Spings, Ohio.

Answer 5

Smaller class sizes, location, quality of the programs, etc. It really depends on what you want as every school has its own combination of factors which make it unique. You just have to research and find out what is best for you.

Though as a graduate of a private university, I will say this: if money is a factor (which it wasn't for me thanks to some scholarships), go to the state school. The extra burden of $120,000+ is not worth it as you would probably be able to find a state school that has a similar value (both in and outside of the classroom).

Answer 6

Private universities are often smaller than some state schools, thus, you are not just a "number" among the thousands of other students (unless you like it that way). More personalized attention at the small, private schools in general.

Answer 7

In my daughter's case, the private school was willing to give her a financial aid package that paid for everything versus the state schools that wanted her to fund the education on loans or with parental assistance. The private college was $23,000 a year and only $4,000 of that was in loans, the rest were all scholarships and grants. The state school was $14,000, offered her no scholarship money, and expected her parents to take out loans to pay.

Answer 8

because Reputation, If you were to higher someone and both applicants had the same qualifications and the only thing that separated them was their choice of schools, wouldn't u chose the one that went to a private well known school with a good reputation or the one with the state school? it looks better being in business having people work for you with more prestigious schools

Answer 9

Perhaps the Reason is " NO STATE SCHOOL" offers SIMILAR EDUCATION as a private UNIVERSITY does.

Answer 10

.usually private universities provide better education cause the class sizes are smaller so its a smaller ratio of teacher to student. privates also tend to have a better reputation