What's the Difference Between Public Universities, Private Universities and Colleges?

Public Universities

• Predominantly funded by state governments and the US federal government.
• They have a significant proportion of seats reserved for students who are residents of the State they belong to, with reduced in-state tuition fees for those students. Out-of-state and international students pay a higher tuition fee.
• International Students might receive scholarships based on merit at a few public universities. No need-based funding is available for international students.
• The number of students attending public universities is relatively large compared to private universities and primarily undergraduate colleges. For example, undergraduate student enrollment in fall 2020 at the University of Texas at Austin was 40,048; the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor was 31,329. 
• They offer a wide variety of majors for both undergraduate and graduate studies.
• Due to a large number of students, one-on-one accessibility to faculty is less, and you can expect a lot of the teaching for freshman and sophomore year to be supported by TAs (Teaching Assistants) who are usually graduate students.
• Students get more networking opportunities for internships as compared to colleges.
• A few research opportunities for undergraduate students, but that are rarely offered until the 3^rd or the 4^th year of college. 

Private Universities

• Funded through private contributions, donations, and tuition fees.
• Students might receive need-based financial aid at some private universities.
• They offer a variety of majors for both undergraduate and graduate studies.
• The size of the student population varies but is usually lesser than public universities and larger than primarily undergraduate colleges. For example, undergraduate enrollment in fall 2020 at Northwestern University was 8,194; Brown University was 6,670. 
• Depending on the size of the student body and the average class size, accessibility to faculty may be lesser than in primarily undergraduate colleges
• Students get more networking opportunities for internships as compared to colleges.
• A few research opportunities for undergraduate students, but that are rarely offered until the 3^rd or the 4^th year of college.  

Primarily Undergraduate Colleges (PUCs)

• Funded through private contributions, donations, and tuition fees.
• These are also commonly known as Liberal Arts and Sciences Colleges.
• Many PUCs offer need-based financial aid to international students, and PUCs generally offer more aid per student than most universities.
• PUCs primarily offer undergraduate degrees and a wide variety of majors in social sciences, science, arts, and humanities.
• The student body size in PUCs is relatively smaller. For example, undergraduate enrollment in fall 2020 at Amherst was 1,745; Swarthmore was 1,437. 
• These colleges are more common on the East Coast than on the West Coast.
• PUCs provide a more intimate learning environment between students and instructors.
• Limited networking opportunities for internships as compared to universities.
• Undergraduate research is more actively encouraged. Students could become RAs and engage in independent research in their first two years.