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North America In the United States, most public universities are state universities founded and operated by state government entities. Every U.S. state has at least one public university to its name, and the largest states have more than a dozen. This is a direct result of the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Acts, which gave each eligible state 30,000 acres (120 km²) of federal land upon which to establish educational institutions. 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. 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, the Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy. Historically, the most prestigious universities in the United States have been private. However, public universities like University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, University of Florida,University of Connecitcut, University of Illinois, University of Virginia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, College of William and Mary,University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, University of Texas at Austin, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Washington, Seattle are highly prestigious as well. In fact, many of these universities are referred to as Public Ivies in an influential book by Richard Moll. 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 with Royal Charters during the British colonial era. 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. 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. East Asia In Taiwan, public ("national") universities are considered to be generally more prestigious than private universities and require higher entrance examination scores. In mainland China today, few private universities exist, and have only appeared in recent years. Several have been founded by large (public) institutions as legally independent spin-offs. These institutions are generally less highly regarded than their public counterparts, as they are seen by many to be focused primarily on income generation rather than the educational endeavor. In Thailand, same as in Taiwan, public universities are considered to be generally more prestigious than private universities and require higher entrance examination scores. The exception is in business administration subjects, where many private universities are as strong as, or even stronger than a majority of public universities. Latin America Public universities in South America are generally more academically rigorous and therefore prestigious than their private counterparts, as academic goals are not blurred by profit motives. In Costa Rica the Universidad de Costa Rica, the Universidad Nacional, and the Instituto Tecnologico 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, are to be taken note of. 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 rigurosity pattern used at Saint Mark's university, like National Agrarian University. In Brazil, many of the most renowned universities are public such as the Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas and the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. In Argentina, public universities such as the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN) are among the most respected, although a few private institutions such as the Universidad Argentina De La Empresa (UADE) or the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) are also held in high esteem. Europe In Ireland all universities are public and the state pays a substantial amount of the cost of educating its undergraduates. There are a few private institutions of higher learning but none of them have university status. In Turkey, many of the most renowned universities are public such as the Bogazici University and METU, while at the same time a few of the notable universities are private such as Bilkent University. Australia In Australia, the majority of universities are public. There are 38 public universities and only two private universities, Bond University and the University of Notre Dame Australia. The oldest and most prestigious universities in Australia, are known as the Group of Eight and are all public universities. Kenya In Kenya there are less Public Universities compared to other African countries such as South Africa. 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 B+ and Above. Students are given a loan by the Govenment through the HELB, which they are expected to pay back after completing higher education. 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. See also | ||||||||||
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