What are the differences between education at a public university and a private university, if any?

The differences between education at public university and a private university are:

1 Funding:

Public universities receive state government funding which pays for the majority of the operating cost. In receiving the funding, it allows the universities the opportunity to offer lower tuitions.

Private universities receives no state funding and therefore rely heavily on tuition/private contributions to cover their expenses. Hence the reason why tuitions are generally higher.

2 Size/Degree offerings

Public universities are much larger and offer a wide rangrof degrees

Private universities typically have a lower enrollment and offer a smaller range of majors.

I do hope that the information shared has been helpful .

Public University will remain compliant to follow all policies and procedures set by the state the University is located

Private Universities follow their own curriculum, instruction, and procedures that are created by upper management for talented and gifted students to challenge them to be successful as well as proper them with real-world application processes.

I attended both a private university and a public one, the huge difference is the teacher: student ratio. In private schools the class sizes are a lot smaller so you're able to have a more personal professional relationship with your professors. My biggest class my freshman year had 32 students, when I transferred I was in a class of 500 students.( major culture shock) Another big difference is the price of your education and how transferrable those credits are for the classes you're taking. The education is the same it's all about what you do with your education and the initiative you take to utilize your resources. I would recommend not breaking the bank if you can't afford private schooling there are great public school options with the same if not more opportunity. Public universities also tend to have a larger variety of student life organizations and committees you're going to be in school for 4yrs minimum if you're pursuing a Bachelor's Degree if you plan on living on campus those organizations and student life facilities become way more important to be productive in your off time. 

Research leans towards the notion that smaller class sizes, a by-product of private universities, is an advantage to be teacher and learner. Most often, however, that comes at a price (tuition). At the end of the day, it's a personal choice that takes many factors into consideration, not the least of which are income, college/career ambitions, and prior knowledge or life experiences.

What is defined as a private university would be my essential question...

A college is a college and attending any is a blessing for the individual involved; whether it's public or private.

In addition to the answers above, private schools can often be liberal arts schools or have a special “niche.” It’s always important, no matter public versus private, to read the mission statement and history and make sure you align with that mission. Some private schools can have a religious background and can even require you take religion/Bible courses or attend chapel. Liberal arts colleges usually require a breadth of courses outside your major in order to make you a more well-rounded individual.

Just to echo what was said above, private colleges are often more expensive but have smaller undergrad populations and hence, smaller class sizes. Additionally, if you need to take out student loans, it will be important to see what type of loans that university accepts: private versus federal.

The only other thing that comes to mind is that because liberal arts colleges are smaller, they may offer less majors than a larger public university.