State or private university – which one is better to choose?

How to study at a reputable university, and for free every day, is to choose a state university. Private colleges, however, also have advantages. We are looking at both types of universities.

June is the high time for this year’s graduates of general and technical secondary schools to think about which studies to choose, if at all. The field of study is of the greatest importance – after all, it depends on what profession a young person intends to pursue. It is also important whether a graduate of a secondary school will choose a state or private school. Employers look at the university level of the candidates applying for a position in their company. There are about 450 universities in Poland. Selected experts say that there is too much and describe it as a pathological situation, mainly because there are too many private universities. Meanwhile, it turns out that some people value private schools more than state schools.

Universities with traditions

Universities are primarily schools with traditions, sometimes centuries old (the oldest in Poland is the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great). Universities enjoy the greatest respect. There are 20 universities in our country that are nothing but a determinant of prestige. For comparison: out of the above-mentioned 450 universities, about 300 are non-public units, and yet only one non-public higher education institution is a university. The name “university” is obligatory. In order for a college to become a university, it must meet a number of conditions. In Poland, this word may be used in the case of universities whose organizational units are authorized to award doctoral degrees in at least 10 disciplines, including at least 2 in each of the following 3 groups of fields of study. The first group of fields includes the humanities, legal, economic or theological sciences. The second group of disciplines includes mathematical, physical, earth sciences, or technical sciences. The third group includes the biological, medical, chemical, pharmaceutical, agricultural or veterinary sciences.

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There is only one private university in Poland so far. In 2015, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw changed into the SWPS University (now also known as the University of Social Sciences and Humanities).

Learning level

Selected state universities offer about 90 fields of study and 150 specializations, while there are private universities offering 1-2 fields of study. A public university is usually a university with a higher level of education than a private university. It is said that if someone did not enter a state university, he submits documents to a non-public school, because there they will be accepted with open arms. In the case of state-run universities, it happens that about 20 candidates apply for one place, and the recruitment process is extensive. The results of the matura exam are taken into account, possibly there is also a test or an interview. At non-public universities, they often admit all applicants, and the only criteria are submitting a complete set of documents and paying the enrollment fee – although the enrollment fee does not always apply, because schools resign from collecting enrollment fees in order to encourage more people. It is also said, although this is a generalized statement, that non-state schools let all students pass and do not cause problems for them during their studies, because any student who would be struck off the student list would mean less money for the university because they would not pay tuition anymore.

Tuition fees

About tuition fees, i.e. tuition fees. In theory, only state university students do not have to pay tuition fees. Only full-time students are exempt from fees. Part-time studies (evening and extramural) and postgraduate studies at state universities are always paid. In the case of non-public universities, tuition fees must always be regulated. The so-called subsidized projects where students study for free.

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Non-state schools have the highest number of part-time students and they mostly employ lecturers who conduct classes with full-time students on a daily basis. These academic teachers treat a state university as their primary workplace, and a private school as an additional job.
Universities or other state-run universities usually also have a much more extensive infrastructure, for example several halls of residence, in which they can live jointly even over 5,000 students. Some non-public colleges even lack a real buffet, and the library is so small that it takes up one room.

Contact with lecturers

There are, however, advantages of private universities. Classes conducted in them are usually held in groups of a dozen or even several people, so smaller than at state universities. It happens that a lecture at a state university is conducted for 200 people, and at a private university – for 20. At a private university, the student feels treated individually. It is usually easier for non-public schools to introduce novelties, e.g. e-learning (distance learning) or price promotions, such as exemption from registration fees. In non-public schools, it is usually easier to contact lecturers who provide students with a private phone number, e-mail or Facebook contact details.