Reasons to Attend a State School

One of the most important decisions that a young person has to make is where to go to college. Public or private? Liberal arts or professional? These are excellent questions, and each of these types of schools have advantages and disadvantages that must be kept in mind during the decision-making process. In this article, you will learn about some of the reasons why it is advisable to attend a state school as opposed to a privately funded institution.

Affordability
First and foremost is affordability. It's a bit of common wisdom that state schools are, as a rule, more affordable than their privately funded counterparts. Even in this recession, when many schools have had to increase their tuition in order to make ends meet, state school tuition is often quite affordable, making it an excellent choice for a number of types of student, including first-time college students and non-traditional learners. Even more importantly, many state schools offer a tuition reduction or lower tuition for in-state students, so this is definitely a factor to consider when looking at state schools.

Faculty Quality
Although some might think that state schools offer faculty that are less experienced or prestigious than those at private schools, the exact opposite is often the case. Many premier scientists and humanities scholars currently teach at state institutions, and many of them also teach undergraduates (even if they may use teaching assistants for larger lecture courses.) Thus, you will have access to these leading lights in their fields and will be able to learn from them.

Location
If you want to attain a college education but do not want to go to some faraway place, then consider attending a state school, which is typically located close to your home town (or at least within a reasonable driving distance.) By going to a state school you will be able to both start to establish your own independence (something almost every college student wants,) without having to sacrifice your strong relationships with your friends and family.

Variety
Another excellent reason for attending state school is, in a word, variety. State schools are often a very heterogeneous community, drawing students from many other different states and frequently different countries. There are also frequently a large number of extracurricular activities available for your to join, due to the fact that state schools often impose fewer restrictions on such groups than private institutions (which are sometimes run by religious denominations that have certain rules regarding morality and other related issues.) Simply put, state schools are often a thriving and lively intellectual and learning community where any student can find a home.

If you're planning on applying for college any time in the near future, you might want to keep these considerations in mind when you are determining what kind of college you would like to attend. Always remember that you want to find a place where you can be happy and excel as much as possible.

Sources
Visit CollegeCrunch.com for more reasons on attending a state school as well as a number of other college-related articles.