Public university
A
public university is an
university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or regional government. In places such as
Australia,
Canada,
Germany,
Portugal,
South Africa, the
United Kingdom and other countries in
Europe, most significant
universities are public, while in the
United States and
Japan, both public and
private universities are common and generally regarded as having similar academic standards. Many major public universities around the world were formerly private or
religious institutions.
Worldwide, some public institutions like the
University of Cambridge, the
University of California at Berkeley, the
University of Melbourne, the
University of Oxford,
Peking University,
National University of Singapore, the
University of Tokyo,
Trinity College Dublin, and
ETH Zurich are held in particularly high esteem. In fact, in a recent worldwide university study by
Shanghai Jiaotong University , three of the top 10 universities were public, with Cambridge 2nd, UC Berkeley 4th and Oxford 10th. World rankings by "
The Times Higher Education Supplement" came up with similar findings with UC Berkeley 2nd, Cambridge and Oxford 5th and 6th, and ETH Zurich rounding out the top 10.
North America
In the
United States, most public universities are
state universities founded and operated by
state government entities. Every U.S. state has at least one public university to its name, and the largest states have more than a dozen. This is a direct result of the 1862
Morrill Land-Grant Acts, which gave each eligible state 30,000 acres (120 km²) of federal land upon which to establish educational institutions. States generally charge higher tuition to out-of-state students, a practice which the
United States Supreme Court has deemed constitutional because the state is acting as a
market participant providing a service, rather than protecting a
fundamental right. It has never been determined whether the
U.S. Constitution would allow the
federal government to establish a federal university system; the only federally chartered universities that currently exist are those under the auspices of the
U.S. military, such as
West Point, the
Naval Academy and the
United States Air Force Academy.
Historically, the most prestigious universities in the United States have been private. However, public universities like the
University of California, Berkeley,
Pennsylvania State University,
University of Michigan,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
University of Virginia,
College of William and Mary,
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities,
University of Texas at Austin,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the
University of Washington, Seattle are highly prestigious as well. In fact, many of these universities are referred to as
Public Ivies in an influential book by
Richard Moll.
In
Canada, education is the responsibility of the individual
provinces. Universities are regulated by provincial governments but enjoy relative autonomy. Most tuition and governing decisions are made at the individual university level and therefore vary across the provinces and country.
See also:
Universities in the United StatesEast Asia
In
Taiwan, public ("national") universities are considered to be generally more prestigious than private universities and require higher entrance examination scores.
In
mainland China today, few private universities exist, and have only appeared in recent years. Several have been founded by large (public) institutions as legally independent
spin-offs. These institutions are generally less highly regarded than their public counterparts, as they are seen by many to be focused primarily on
income generation rather than the educational endeavor.
In
Thailand, same as in Taiwan, public universities are considered to be generally more prestigious than private universities and require higher entrance examination scores. The exception is in business administration subjects, where many private universities are as strong as, or even stronger than a majority of public universities.
Latin America
Public universities in South America are generally more academically rigorous and therefore prestigious than their private counterparts, as academic goals are not blurred by profit motives.
In
Costa Rica the Universidad de Costa Rica, the Universidad Nacional, and the Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica, all public universities, are among the nations most prestigious institutions. Nevertheless, the UN-sponsored University for Peace and the INCAE Business School, are to be taken note of.
In
Peru, the admission test required to enter national (public) universities requires higher scores. The public opinion sees this from the four century old
National University of San Marcos, that it has seen as the most respected public education institution in the country. Also many other public universities follow the same rigurosity pattern used at Saint Mark's university, like
National Agrarian University.
In
Brazil, many of the most renowned universities are public such as the
Universidade de São Paulo and the
Universidade Estadual de Campinas.
In
Argentina, public universities such as the
Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA),
Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP),
Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN) are among the most respected, although a few private institutions such as the
Universidad Argentina De La Empresa (UADE) or the
Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) are also held in high esteem.
Europe
In
Ireland all universities are public and the state pays a substantial amount of the cost of educating its undergraduates. There are a few private institutions of higher learning but none of them have university status.
In
Turkey, many of the most renowned universities are public such as the
Bogazici University and
METU, while at the same time a few of the notable universities are private such as
Bilkent University.
Australia
In Australia, the majority of universities are public. There are 38 public universities and only two private universities,
Bond University and the
University of Notre Dame Australia. The oldest and most prestigious universities in Australia, are known as the Group of Eight and are all public universities.
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:Category:Public universities*
Universities in the United States
