Transfer students have many decisions to make in a short amount of time. It can be stressful weighing the pros and cons of where to apply for college and what the best educational experience is within their financial budget.
As an advantage, private colleges have a smaller population of students compared to public ones. By having smaller classes it allows for personalized attention and closer connections between faculty and students. Public colleges do not have the same advantage due to larger class sizes and less attention between professors and students, making it difficult to find mentoring or personal support to further their educational path.
According to the article Public vs. Private College: Whats the difference?, private colleges can create better opportunities for their students with “close-knit communities [that] can enhance networking opportunities and form lasting relationships among peers and professors.” A bond creating setting enhances student engagement and assists in making a superior learning environment while helping the students build their career portfolio.
Private institutions such as Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California, are non-profit individual colleges. They rely primarily on tuition fees making the tuition rate higher and donations, but there are some better alternatives to pursuing a higher education at a private college regardless of cost. Both public and private colleges provide federal financial aid to students but private schools often reward money with grants and scholarships from their endowment funds, as well as large tuition discounts that many public schools do not offer. In a similarly titled article, Private Vs. Public Colleges: What’s the difference, it was reported that between the 2020-2021 school year the National Association of College and University Business Officers recorded an average of 48% tuition discounts to undergraduates.
Building connections is important in a successful career, private university students have access to greater opportunities by networking their skills at their specialized college. Many private colleges keep in contact with their alumni to provide guidance, mentorship or potential jobs. By giving the students access to work with people to their future field they are increasing their communication, knowledge and career services.
Private universities offer specialized academic programs for specific fields of study such as arts, business, or music. This allows students to reach out to anyone because the school is related to their future career. In the article, Choosing between Public and Private Universities: The Pros and Cons discusses the benefit of choosing a private school that is determined in a students academic interest, “They may specialize in specific fields or areas of study, providing students with a more concentrated and in-depth educational experience. If you have a specific career path or academic interest in mind, a private university may be better equipped to cater to your needs.”
