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A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions.

In some regions of the world prominent public institutions are highly influential centres of research; many of these universities are ranked among the world's best in the THES - QS World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities. In other regions, for instance, Japan, public universities tend to be less competitive and less prestigious than some of national and private universities.

Contents

Public universities worldwide

Oceania

Australia

In Australia, the majority of universities are public. There are 38 public universities and four private universities. The private universities are Bond University, the University of Notre Dame Australia (both Australian), and the two foreign universities, Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and Cranfield University (UK), both have campuses in Adelaide.

Australia's public universities are variously grouped:

There are also a number of ungrouped universities, such as The University of Tasmania (UTAS)

New Zealand

In New Zealand, all universities are public. The oldest (University of Otago) was established by Provincial Ordinance, the next six were established by individual Acts of Parliament, and one (Auckland University of Technology) established by the currently preferred method, an Order-in-Council under the Education Act 1989.

Europe

  • In Austria, most of the universities are public. The tuition fees are also regulated by the state and are the same for all universities. Except for some studies, notably medicine, everybody who fulfills the condition of a secondary degree is allowed to attend a public university. Private universities exist since 1999, but they still need an accreditation by the state.
  • In Denmark, almost all universities are public (except the business academy Niels Brock), and public universities (and public high schools) are held in higher esteem than their private counterparts, a notable thing to notice is that all public universities in Denmark are completely tuition-less.
  • In Finland all universities are public. By law, any teaching that leads to a degree has to be provided free of charge to the students.
  • In Germany, most higher education institutions are public, too. All German public universities are founded and operated by federal state government entities, all lecturers and professors are public servants. Until 2006, all German public universities were free of tuition fees. However, since then some states adopted tuition fees, others will follow in 2007 or 2008.
  • In Greece, all universities are public and enjoy de jure institutional autonomy, although in practice this autonomy is limited by ministerial interventions in issues such as student enrolment, academic recruitment and funding. With the exception of the Hellenic Open University, undergraduate programmes are offered tuition-free for Greek citizens, as are many post-graduate courses. Education is regarded as a constitutional responsibility of the state and the establishment of private universities is prohibited by the constitution. The article of the constitution regarding education was voted by the current parliament as one of those that will be amended by the next elected house of parliament. It is the intention of the current government to allow the establishment of private universities and recognize already existing private colleges as higher education institutions.
  • In Italy, most universities are public, and they enjoy de jure institutional autonomy (limited by the state in practice, like in Greece), but low tuition fees (decided by each university and related to the student's wealth) must be paid by students. Private funding, even for research, ranges from low to non-existent, compared to most other European countries.
  • In Poland, Universities are divided into a few categories, first division depends on establishment, there are two types: Private universities which are operated by private citizens, societies or companies, and Public Universities which were made by an Enacting Act of the Polish National Parliament. Higher education in Poland provided by Public Universities is totally free, for everyone, including Polish Citizens, EU-Citizens, and non-EU students. The Polish Government pays all tuition fees, and other costs of students. There is also Large number of Private Universities, charging tuition fees directly to students, these institutions are generally held in lower regard than state universities. There also exist a small number of Private Universities, which do not charge fees to the student, such as John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, which was founded in 1918, and is property of the Roman Catholic Episcopacy of Poland, here the Polish Government pays all costs.
  • In Portugal, there are 13 public universities, an university institute and a distance university. Higher education in Portugal provided by state-run institutions is not free, as a tuition fee must be paid, although being much lower than the tuition fees of the private ones. The highest tuition fee allowed by law in public universities was 901,23 euros/year (2007). The public universities of Portugal include some of the most selective and demanding higher learning institutions in the country, noted for high competitiveness and nationwide reputation.
  • In Sweden most universities are public. Education in Sweden is normally free, so there are no tuition fees at any university in Sweden, except for the compulsory Student Union membership (20 to 40 EUR in 2007)
  • In the United Kingdom, all universities are funded mostly by government teaching and research grants except for the University of Buckingham and Richmond University. However, unlike in other European countries, the British government does not own the universities' assets and university staff are not civil servants. United Kingdom universities are therefore better described as independent institutions with public funding, rather than public universities per se.

Central America

In Costa Rica the Universidad de Costa Rica, the Universidad Nacional, the Universidad Estatal a Distancia and the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, all public universities, are among the nations most prestigious institutions. Nevertheless, the UN-sponsored University for Peace and the INCAE Business School (with campuses in Nicaragua and Costa Rica), are to be taken note of.

South America

Argentina

See also: Education in Argentina and List of universities in Argentina

In Argentina the National Universities, also called "Public or State-run Universities", is the name used to refer to all those institutions whose creation arose from the enactment of a National Congress Act, except for those whose creation preceded that of the state itself (as is the case of the National University of Cordoba and the University of Buenos Aires). They lie as Public Law legal entities and their regular operation funding comes from the national state, pursuant to what is set out on the annual national budget act.

National universities hold the largest share of the entire Argentine university system: counting over 80% of the undergraduate population and with campuses stretched throughout to all provinces comprising the national territory, they account for over 50% of the country's scientific research while additionally providing technical assistance to both the public and private sectors. The role played for those was widely important in the Argentine Academic history more over by mentioning the fact that Bernardo Houssay, the first Latin American and Argentinian Nobel Laureate, comes from a National University.

Brazil

UFPR - Federal University of Parana, in Curitiba

In Brazil, there are a couple hundred public universities (see a partial list), funded by the Federal or State governments, and they include the most renowned universities in the country. Teachers are government employees, most of them tenured and selected by public contests, where international research publications is a major criterion for hiring. Teaching load is usually modest and leaves time for research. In contrast, most private institutions are for-profit enterprises which hire teachers on a per-hour basis and have no research. (Notable exceptions are certain private but non-profit universities, mostly affiliated with religious organizations, such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.)

There are no tuition or entrance fees in public universities (a right established in the Brazilian Federal Constitution), but since they accept only a small fraction of applicants, only well-prepared students can pass the entrance examination; so, in practice, most of their students come from middle and upper class families. Since 2005 the Brazilian Government has been offering a limited number of tuition grants to enable poor students attend private universities for free.

Peru

In Peru, the admission test required to enter national (public) universities requires higher scores. The public opinion sees this from the four century old National University of San Marcos, that it has seen as the most respected public education institution in the country. Also many other public universities follow the same rigorous pattern used at Saint Mark's university, like National Agrarian University and the National University of Engineering.

North America

Canada

See also: Universities in Canada

In Canada, education is a constitutional responsibility of the individual provinces. Most universities are established and operated under provincial legislation, but a few of the oldest were founded by Royal Charter. All major Canadian universities are publicly-funded but maintain institutional autonomy, with the ability to decide on admission, tuition and governance.

The Group of Thirteen is an organization of the country's thirteen leading research-intensive universities. Additionally, McGill University and the University of Toronto are members of the Association of American Universities, along with sixty public and private institutions in the United States. Private universities in Canada are relatively new and mostly exist at the undergraduate level.

Mexico

See also: List of universities in Mexico

In Mexico, the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), sometimes simply known as the "National University of Mexico", was founded in 1551. It is the largest University in the country and one of the largest in the world with over 250,000 students including all its system of high-schools. By percentage, it contributes the most to the country's academic research and cultural development although there are other significant public institutions such as the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and the federal state-run universities.

United States

See also: Universities in the United States
Many U.S. public universities began as teacher training institutions and eventually were expanded into comprehensive state universities. One example is the University of North Alabama, formerly Florence State Teachers College, located in Florence, Alabama.

In the United States, most public universities are state universities founded and operated by state government entities; the oldest being the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The University of Georgia, although the overall oldest school now designated as public is The College of William & Mary (founded in 1693 and first considered private). Every U.S. state has at least one public university to its name, and the largest states have more than thirty. This is partly as a result of the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Acts, which gave each eligible state 30,000 acres (120 km²) of federal land to sell to finance public institutions offering courses of study in practical fields in addition to the liberal arts. Many U.S. public universities began as teacher training institutions and eventually were expanded into comprehensive universities. Examples include Missouri State University, formerly Southwest Missouri State Teachers College; Texas State University, formerly Texas State Teachers College; State University of New York at Cortland, formerly Cortland State Teachers College; and the University of North Alabama, formerly Florence State Teachers College.

States generally charge higher tuition to out-of-state students, a practice which the United States Supreme Court has deemed constitutional because the state is acting as a market participant providing a service, rather than protecting a fundamental right. The higher fees are based on the theory that students from the state have contributed to subsidizing the university by paying state taxes, while out-of-state students have not. It has never been determined whether the U.S. Constitution would allow the federal government to establish a federal university system; the only federally chartered universities that currently exist are those under the auspices of the U.S. military, such as West Point.

Historically, many of the prestigious universities in the United States have been private.dubious – discuss Some public universities are also highly prestigious and increasingly selective though; Richard Moll designated such prestigious public universities Public Ivies. At schools like the University of Michigan, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Texas, Austin and University of California, Los Angeles a vast majority of the departments are consistently highly ranked, allowing the schools to enjoy prestige similar or higher to that of an Ivy League university. State support of public universities has been declining, forcing many public universities to seek private support. Some professional graduate programs in law, business, and medicine rely almost solely on private funding.

There are also a number of public liberal arts colleges.1

Asia

Bangladesh

Curzon Hall houses the science faculty of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

In Bangladesh there are 26 public universities in operation. [1] The University Grant Commission is the monitoring body for all the public universities in Bangladesh.The Universities shall not deal directly with the government but with the University Grants Commission which in turn shall deal with the government. Recently many private universities are established under the Private University Act 1992.

China

In China, nearly all universities and research institutions are public. There are few private undergraduate colleges (mostly engineering schools) sponsored by some private enterprises and the majority of these are not entitled to give bachelor degrees. All important and significant centers for higher education in the country are publicly administered. See List of universities in China for a more comprehensive list.

India

In India, most universities and nearly all research institutions are public. There are some private undergraduate colleges (mostly engineering schools) and the majority of these are affiliated to a public university. Few other private colleges are partially-aided by the state and central governments which results in reduced fees for the students. But all important and significant centers for higher education in the country are publicly administered. See List of universities in India for a more comprehensive list.

Israel

There are eight official universities in Israel. In addition, there are a few dozen colleges and other institutes of higher learning, as well as about a dozen foreign university extensions. All are academically supervised by the Council for Higher Education in Israel (CHEI). The main difference between a university and a college in Israel is that only a university can issue doctorate degrees. Theoretically, a college can apply to the CHEI to upgrade its status to university.

Japan

Gifu Pharmaceutical University; it is one of municipal universities in Japan.
See also: Higher education in Japan

In Japan, public universities refer to schools that are not national universities but are run by local governments, either prefectural or municipal. According to the Ministry of Education, public universities have "provided an opportunity for higher education in a region and served the central role of intellectual and cultural base for the local community in the region", and are "expected to contribute to social, economical and cultural development in the region."2; this contrasts to research-oriented aspects of national universities.

As of April 2006, there were 76 public universities, compared to 87 national and 571 private universities, and 127,872 students attended the schools. The number of the public universities has increased sharply in recent years; in 1980 there were only 34 public universities and in 1993 there were 46. Since July 2003 when the Local Independent Administrative Institutions Law was put into effect, public universities have been allowed to be incorporated.3 The average tuition in public universities for 2007 fiscal year was 536,238 yen, the average entrance fee 399,351 yen and the average application fee 17,095 yen.4

Pakistan

See also: List of universities in Pakistan

In Pakistan, universities are under the control of Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) (formerly the University Grant Commission). There are around 67 Public and 57 private universities in Pakistan. 5 The University of Karachi is the biggest public university of Pakistan followed by the University of Punjab, Lahore.

Philippines

See also: Education in the Philippines, State University and College, and Local College and University

Universities and colleges in the Philippines are controlled and managed by the Commission on Higher Education.

There are more than 500 government-run higher education institutions, of which 436 are state colleges and universities, including satellite campuses, 31 local colleges and universities, and a handful of community colleges.

In 2008, state colleges and universities have a PHP 26.2-billion budget, out of which PHP 19.4 billion will be funded by direct subsidies.6

Africa

Cairo University which became the prime indigenous model for other state universities in the region.

Egypt

See also: List of Egyptian universities

In Egypt, Al-Azhar University opened in 975 AD as the second oldest university in the world. It followed by a lot of universities opened as public universities such as Cairo University, Alexandria University and Ain Shams University where tuition fees are totally subsidized by the Egyptian Government.

Kenya

In Kenya, all of the Public Universities are under the control of the Ministry of Education. Students are enrolled after completing the 8-4-4 System of Education and attaining a Mark of C+ and Above. Students are given a loan by the Government through the Higher Education Loan Board (HELB) if they are government sponsored and meet the criteria upon application.They are expected to pay back after completing higher education.

See also

References

  1. ^ These include the members of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.
  2. ^ "大学・短大・専門教育に関すること 公立大学について－文部科学省" (in Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-02-11. "公立大学は、[...] 地域における高等教育機会の提供と地域社会での知的・文化的拠点として中心的役割を担ってきており、今後とも、それぞれの地域における社会・経済・文化の発展への貢献が期待されています。"
  3. ^ "FY2003 White Paper on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology [1.2.1.3" (2003). Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
  4. ^ "平成19年度学生納付金調査結果－文部科学省" (in Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
  5. ^ List of Public and Private Universities in Pakkistan
  6. ^ GMA NEWS.TV, RP universities get low rankings; La Salle, UST dropped out of Top 500. Accessed August 19, 2008.
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