Public colleges are run by the state and receive funding from the government while private colleges are fully supported by things such as tuition fees and donations. Private universities can also incorporate lineage, character, and personality traits into their judgement for acceptance while public colleges cannot.
Public colleges are run by the state. Private colleges aren't. Private colleges are also much more expensive than public. My friend goes to a private school that costs $20,000 a year. My public university costs about $9,500.
Public funded by state and private is not. The public college closest to me is $6,025. The private college that I want to go to is $36,500 a year and tuition is on the rise.
Here is the exact opposite. I had to have a real high GPA to enter where I am right now. The private colleges here you can enter with your eyes closed. XD
Yea, public universities are more open to everyone. But you won't necessarily get into the program you want and they will stick you in some program to help you.
To get into the program you apply for at my college, you had to have a 2.5 gpa now it's a 2.7 from when I applied 2 years ago. This is what it is if you want to get into a specific program.
All incoming freshmen entering in the 2009-10 academic year must meet one of the following requirements:
Graduate in the top 10% of their high school class with a 2.7 high school GPA and test score of 17 ACT or 820 SAT
Score 22 ACT or 1020 SAT with a 2.7 high school GPA
Graduate in the top 60% of their high school class with a 2.7 high school GPA and test score of 21 ACT or 980 SAT
A private college has a larger range for scholarships. It is not subject to the same admittance guidlines as a public school. They can turn you down or accept you for any number of reasons. They are typically much more competitive (I'm applying to two public, two private, and the private ones are the ones I haven't heard back from yet!). They are also typically much more expensive. My public schools are around $18,000/year. Whereas my private schools are closer to $50,000/year.
A public school isn't necessarily less competitve. In fact, many of them are more competitive because a larger number of students tend to apply. They have limited funds for scholarships, as they usually have only what is allotted to them by the state and federal government. Public schools tend to be much larger than private schools. Included in public schools are typically any college or university that is the "College/University of (State Here)".