I am attending a public college

Public! I got a bright futures scholarship here in FL and they pay 100% of my tuition if I go to a public community college first.

I went to a private college but the tuition was really low at the time (not as low as in-state public but much lower than Ivy-league types). They have since raised the tuition so I would never go there now and if I were my parents I would totally have made me go to state school, I went to Texas A&M for grad school- best state school ever! Our kids will defi go there if we are still in TX!

I went to a public college. I felt like unless I had a good reason to go to a private college that a public one was just fine.

I went to a private college. While I was debating financial aid packages, it turned out that attending a public college would could cost me twice as much in loans.

I went to a gigantic public university (U of Texas) and a tiny public university (Sam Houston State) for two degrees. UT's programs are top-notch and I plan to go there for my grad degree as they have one of the top library master's programs in the US. Sam Houston was great because the classes were small and there was more of a rapport between students and professors, plus I pretty much attended all classes with the same people all two years.

I went to a private school where tuition was $11K/semester my first year. By the time I graduated, it was roughly $13K/semester. The only reason I was able to afford to go there though was because I had a full-tuition scholarship. Otherwise, I would have gone to public school (and there's nothing wrong with doing so!).

Public for undergrad, though an out-of-state one which made it cost as much as a private school.

I went to public school because I received Georgia's HOPE scholarship--a full ride to a state school for any high school students who graduate with a B average. I think big public universities are great because they offer a lot, but sometimes private schools are good when you know you want a specific degree.

I went to a public undergrad, William & Mary, luckily VA has excellent public colleges! For grad I'm going to a public school in Illinois, but the out of state tuition is nearly as bad (if not worse) as going to a private school. Thank goodness my undergrad debt was small and I payed it off before starting graduate school.

I went to a private college--but it wasn't that expensive and my parents paid for it because they really wanted me to go there. I hated that school. I also went to a private law school, but I had a scholarship that covered over half of my tuition.

I went to a private college and I am happy with the choice I made. It was a Catholic Marianist school and the school really put an emphasis on community, which people said they could feel right away. (I know I did.) We were voted as one of the highest ranked schools for having happy/satisfied students!

I went to a public college but it was out of state, so it wasn't quite as cheap- but still cheaper than most private!

i went to a public university (UCSD) & only came out with $8k in loans for my time there. now i'm going to another public school for my nursing degree & (hopefully) i won't have to take out more than $2 or 3000 for loans, so i can pay them off quickly. i never considered private or even out of state public schools when i was looking to go to college, but california has a great public university system so it wasn't really an issue.

One of each. Public first, then transferred to private.

Private colleges sometimes have more academic scholarships and tons more financial aid. I went to USC (University of Spoiled Children), but the public cross-town rivals actually had a higher family income than at my private schoool. Apply where you want to go, and then see what each place can do for you.

Could have gone to either (did both public and private for primary/secondary school), but opted for public university. UCLA was just the best place for me, and I don't regret any of the private (or other public) schools that I declined. I got an incredible education from one of the best English departments in the nation, a very fun social life, and it was all for a great price.

Go Bruins!

I went to a so-called "Public Ivy League"... it was about $8k/semester, and that was with me having over half of it paid with scholarships. Luckily my parents were paying for it, so I got to go to my first choice school.

Public for sure!...college is all about experiencing life and meeting a large group of different people

Which you can also easily do at a private college.

I went to a public college but paid out of state tuition. It was expensive, but it is the top school in the country for my program, and only 1 of maybe 10 that are accredited. Even if I am paying the bills for 30 years, it was definitely worth it!

I don't think there are any public art & design colleges are there? I know they have Fine Arts majors and such in public colleges but it isn't the entire focus of the school cirriculum...

I was lucky enough to be able to attend a private school I really wanted to go to. But if I had to do it again, I might look harder for a public school that I loved just as much. I was scared of big schools, but I think I could have been happy at the right public university.

public universities (two of them i took a long time to finish was working)and private law school = TONS of debt...would make most people ill.

I was surprised that the average private school tuition was only $23K or so. I wonder if that average would differ by region? I'm from the northeast and I am definitely under the impression that everyone I know who goes to private college paid at least $7K more.

I remember discussing this once on here before. I am thinking that the figures only include tuition and not room and board. They still seem a little low to me, though.

Both.

I went to a public undergrad and my grad school is private.

i went to a private school and don't regret it. i went to public schools prior to college and in high school i experience the overcrowding in my french class. i definitely paid for the more intimate experience but i felt it was worth it. it depends on what people are looking for.

Public, and like prettywarrior I was eligible for the HOPE scholarship, and I received other scholarships which was great. HOPE also paid part of the cost for books, so my college experience was really cheap.

private school with a full scholarship.

U.C. Berkeley. Public, and an incredible education for the price!

Public! Geaux LSU Tigers!

Private for both undergrad and law school

public college! So many adults I know work with people who went to public colleges and private colleges alike, but they all get paid the same, so why bother?? I see no plus to going to a private college unless you are a millionaire and you just got money to blow lol

the first college i went to was public - it was a state school and then the other ones that i went to afterwards were all private. it's insane to see how much tuition differs - and it would have been even better for me had i been an in-state student at the first one since i was there the longest.

I went to a "highly selective" public university (it was also in the middle of nowhere) where the size and prestige was similar to that of the private (and 3 times more expensive) school my older sister attended.

For grad school, I went to a public out-of-state school, but avoided the high tuition fees by staying below full time, which qualified me for in-state tuition.

And, now I work at a private university which is about $25,000 a year.

I went to a public university on a full scholarship.

Private, but about 2/3 of it was paid for through scholarships. I don't think there is a "better" option, both have their benefits. Actually, it would have cost more for me to go to some out-of-state public schools than it did for me to go to the small, out-of-state liberal arts school that I went to. I loved my private school experience, I still keep in touch with professors and never felt overwhelmed or lost, which I could see happening at a large institution. On the other hand, our research facilities and employment recruiting programs probably weren't as strong as they would have been at a larger public school.

i went to a private college, which cost between $38k and $45k per year (with room and board). over 2/3 was covered in scholarships, grants and aid, but i still came out of it with about $60k in student debt.

still, the experience was amazing, and i'd do it all over again.

I went to a private college for undergrad about 26k per/year but I got scholarships and grants to cover it. Left with 10k in debt. Now I'm attending a pubic university for my grad degree will graduate with about 20k in debt.

I received my associate degree (for recording arts) at Full Sail Real World Education (was Private... now a University) For 12months it was $45,000 (its even more now!) And I'm about to receive my bachelors (music business) from there, Full Sail University... 10month program... $35,000. I will be taking the Masters program online (13 months, Entertainment business) while interning/working... and that is $30,000

So everyone else, stop complaining! hahaah

I can't complain though, i love the school, its year round (and pretty much 24hours) and i'll be 21 with a Master's degree.

Public, out of state.

Waste of money mostly, but it yielded some good stories.

Private. My parents paid because they wanted me to focus on getting a good education so that I could be financially solid when I graduated. And guess what? I am! Also, I'm an only child. That probably helped.

I went to Santa Barbara City College and then I transferred to UC San Diego. Both schools were great! Back when I was in school, SBCC cost $50 per semester (for residents) for a full course load. UCSD was about $700/quarter. It jumped to about $1100/quarter by the time I finished. Still a huge bargain considering the wonderful education I received. (I had fun, too!)

I went public and my sister went private - my parents had nice college funds for us, still she needed a loan to finish and I had some left over that I used towards a down payment on our first home.

Public, great education, zero debt, greater experiences.

I don't understand how people can say they had "greater experiences" when they have only experienced one or the other.

In the end, I think public is better for some people and private is better for others. It all depends on the individual.

I went to a state university. State universities in our country are unlike state universities in the US. State universities here are like the Ivy Leagues. But the great difference is that we don't pay anything except for books, labs and miscellaneous. The tuition fees are totally free ---paid by the state (government). So I went to college paying for free. But it takes a lot just to be accepted in their programs. That's why we were called the "nation's scholar"

Ole Miss! Hotty Toddy! Best decision I ever made. Also, I love how us SEC girls are still clearly in love with our schools.