One of the decisions most college bound students will have to make at one point is whether to choose a private college or a state college. Though many think they understand the basic pros and cons of each type of school, there are actually many misconceptions about private schools that many harbor. This list covers five of the most common ones.
1. Private School are More Expensive Than State Schools
If you’re justing looking at the raw tuition cost, yes. However, many don’t realize that private schools will often offer a better financial aid packages than a state school, making the private school actually cheaper. Many private schools will offer very competitive aid packages to attract quality students, so its definitely worth applying to see what you get.
2. Private Schools Have Smaller Class Sizes than State Schools
This is another “fact” about private schools that is often true, but not always. Many small, specialized state schools can offer smaller class sizes and lower student to faculty ratios than large private liberal arts schools. This is very often the case with state run engineering schools, which very often offer low student to faculty ratios. Be sure to check the actual numbers here, and don’t just go off reputation.
3. Private Schools are Full of Snobby Rich Kids
This is closely related to point one. Many imagine that they will not fit into a private school because they don’t come from money. As it turns out, private schools can be surprisingly diverse, since they purposely entice students of all backgrounds to attend. This can make them more diverse than many state schools. Of course, this varies from place to place, so be sure to do your homework and see how it really is.
4. Going to a Private School Will Get Me a Better Education
This isn’t necessarily true. Private schools, just like state schools, vary widely in their quality. You can get a great education at both types. Be sure to research each schools reputation in your field. You might be surprised to find out that a local state school will offer you a better program than that fancy liberal arts school halfway across the country.
5. Going to a Private School Offers a Better “College Experience”
When many people think of private schools, they often envision a beautiful, old, ivy covered campus where they can pursue their intellectual pursuits with other like minded, highy motivated individuals. These same people often envision state schools as more of a place to party than to get a high quality education. None of the generalizations are true. Each school, state funded or otherwise, has its own unique atmosphere, and you can’t generalize any more than that.
Overall, I hope you now have a better idea the differences (or lack thereof) between public and private schools. Don’t let the apparent expense of private schools stop you from looking, but don’t let their ritzy reputation give you unrealistic expectations, either. Every college is unique, and offers its own experience. Only by researching can you get a real for for each place.
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