By Michael T. Clarke
Director of International Undergraduate Admission
Southern Methodist University

Post-secondary education in America is characterized by diversity. Because higher education in the United States is not a centrally controlled, uniform system, international students who wish to study in America are faced with an often bewildering array of educational options. For example, there are over 10,000 institutions offering post-secondary programs in the United States. However, only slightly more than 3000 of these institutions are regionally accredited. Regional accreditation offers the assurance that your degree is granted by a recognized, legitimate institution of higher learning. Your first choice is not a difficult one; always choose an institution that is accredited by one of America's regional accrediting associations.

Your other educational choices may be more difficult. In addition to deciding where in the United States you would like to live and study, and whether you prefer a large or small institution, you may wonder whether you should choose a private or a public university. Of the 3000-plus institutions in America which are regionally accredited, 1600 are private, independent colleges and universities. These private institutions have campuses in rural, urban and suburban locations in every state except Wyoming and enroll over 3 million students.

Whereas public institutions receive significant funding from state governments (approximately 41 percent), private colleges and universities depend on tuition, fees, private gifts, corporate contributions and endowments. This difference in sources of funding accounts for the extraordinary diversity found among America's private institutions. Because government authority does not reach into the affairs of independent colleges and universities as it does with public colleges and universities, private institutions are often able to provide more flexible and innovative responses to the needs of students and society. They include church and faith-related institutions, historically black colleges and universities, and women's colleges. Their enrollment ranges from fewer than 100 to more than 30,000 students, and their academic programs and institutional missions differ greatly. As a result, private colleges and universities in America are as diverse as the country itself, and are able to provide a match for each student's educational, social and cultural needs.

Although these institutions differ one from another, there is one constant that international students can expect to find at all private colleges and universities in America. More than ever before, private institutions have become consumer oriented. They are keenly aware that they exist to serve the educational needs of their customers. As students increasingly think of themselves as "consumers," and as the cost of higher education's "goods and services" rises for those consumers, the demand for quality understandably grows. As President R. Gerald Turner of Southern Methodist University recently pointed out, "The issue of quality is particularly important in private higher education because tuition levels are minimally subsidized by state tax dollars. Private colleges and universities must provide not only a high-quality educational experience, but one different in nature from that offered by a major state university."

How might your education at a private university be "different in nature" from that offered at a public university? You can expect low student-to-faculty ratios, which means that you will have more access to your professors if you need extra help or simply wish to discuss a topic in more detail. You can also expect small classes, so you'll be an individual and not just a number. And your classes will usually be taught by a professor, not by a teaching assistant. Your professor will know your name and you will know the names of the other students in your class, so you may feel more comfortable contributing to class discussions. At Southern Methodist University, for example, 71 percent of undergraduate classes have 25 or fewer students. In addition, you will find that private universities usually provide more opportunities for mentoring, leadership training, internships and involvement - all factors that contribute to the special quality of educational experiences available at these institutions, as well as the future success of their students.

These differences pay high dividends for students who choose private colleges and universities. In part because of more personal contact, students attending private colleges and universities are more likely to complete an undergraduate degree than those attending state (public) institutions. According to a 1994 Standard and Poor's survey of more than 70,000 leading executives, 50 percent received an undergraduate degree from an independent college or university. Of those with graduate degrees, 62 percent received them at an independent college or university. Finally, from 1901 to 1994, 78 percent of US winners of the Nobel Peace Prize affiliated with institutions of higher education were at independent universities.