The current debate over state funding for higher education has focused the attention of students and parents on the price tags at public colleges and universities.  The tuition increases for the current semester of the 2002-2003 academic year foreshadow what will take place again in the fall as students in state-supported colleges and universities are required to assume a larger portion of educational costs.

 

  Private colleges and universities, at double or, possibly, triple the price of public institutions, have long had to deal with sticker shock.  The price of attending a private college largely reflects the actual cost of the education.  The price of attending a state-subsidized institution is nowhere near the actual cost and, although students at public institutions will pay more of the cost, the price difference between public and private colleges and universities will remain substantial.  

 

“Why are students at private institutions willing to pay the difference?”  Although it is common for the majority of students at a private college to receive substantial financial assistance  (for example, at Hampden-Sydney College, 87.9% of the students receive aid), such aid is not the primary factor. 

 

Students who attend private colleges, and their parents, pay more for what is a more personal and superior educational experience.  Please note that I did not say a superior educational opportunity.  The best and most self-motivated students, whether in public or private institutions, will learn with institutions providing little more than opportunities.  The majority of students, however, require more than just opportunities, they require direct personal interaction with professors.

 

Public universities generally have large classes, often in the 100s.  In private colleges, the great majority of classes have fewer than 20 students.  A sample of eight private colleges from the U.S. News College Rankings database shows the following overall class enrollments:

            Fewer than 20 students – 68%

            Between 20 and 49  – 32%

            Greater than 50 – 0.5%

We find approximately a 20-fold difference in the number of large classes at public universities compared to private colleges.  Most educators agree that students learn better in smaller classes and under closer faculty supervision.

 

Large universities often rely on teaching assistants for 15% or more of the teaching duties.  Often students encounter these inexperienced teachers in their first and second years when they most need strong teaching.  Private colleges take pride in offering classes, at all levels, taught by experienced teachers with advanced degrees.

 

Small private colleges provide opportunities for students of varying academic ability to work closely with faculty members on independent studies and undergraduate research.  Owing to size, at most public universities, relatively few students – the best – find it possible to make the contact necessary to engage in independent study or undergraduate research.

 

Small private institutions foster and expect intellectual and social interaction between students and faculty outside of class.  The priority at large universities is often faculty research and publication.

 

Not all of life’s decisions should be financial, and, where one attends college, perhaps, should be one of those spared.  I urge young men and women to remember that higher education is an investment, not a commodity, and there is much more to be considered than the price tag.

 

Printed in the Free Lance Star, Fredericksburg, Virginia, February 28, 2003.