What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Cost

Private schools can be the cause of third mortgages and lifetime (or seemingly so) student loans. So can public schools, but not nearly to the same extreme. The average cost for one year at a private school is $21,339 while at a public school it's just $8,086.

Size

A common complaint is that you can feel like one of the herd at public schools. You’re paying the big bucks not to at privates.

Resources

Private institutions tend to have better resources, e.g., libraries, research facilities, although this is not always true.

Housing

Private schools tend to offer more guaranteed housing on campus than public schools.

Class selection

You are more likely to get into the courses you want at most private schools than public schools.

Quality (sometimes)

Many private schools are thought to have stronger academic reputations than public schools. However, there are many public schools which offer top notch educations. By all means, attending a private school does not necessarily equate to getting a better education.