Public or Private: Understanding the Universities in the Big Ten
It wouldn’t be a college football offseason without focusing on the subject of money. Once the balls get packed away in January and before we get to the draft, college football financing and politics is all we have! In the coming weeks, I will look at how the Big Ten schools are financed. But ahead of doing so, there is an important point to understand, whether a university is publicly or privately funded. It matters in a number of contexts including size, fan base and financing. This post looks at which Universities in the Big Ten are Public or Private and why it matters.
Public Universities
A public university is primarily funded and governed by its state government. State taxpayers contribute to the operating budget, and in return the university carries a mandate to serve that state’s population. This will typically involve running a broad course range (to suit a wide range of people) and preferential fees to the state’s residents. This in normally referred to as lower in-state tuition fees. A student from Ohio attending Ohio State pays significantly less than a student from out of state (or abroad). The university is, in effect, subsidised for locals.
Many of these universities, especially in the Big Ten, are called “flagship” campuses. This is the main or most prestigious institution in their state’s university system. Several are also “land-grant” universities, a designation from the 19th century when federal land was allocated to establish institutions focused on agriculture, engineering, and the applied sciences. Michigan State, Penn State, and Purdue all fall into this category.
Private Universities
A private university does not receive direct state funding. It funds itself through tuition, endowments (built from donations over time), grants, and philanthropy. It is governed by a private board of trustees rather than state government.
Two things follow from that. First, there is no in-state versus out-of-state tuition distinction. The price on the tin is the same regardless of where you are from, and that price is often very high. Second, because private universities are not answerable to state legislatures, they have considerably more autonomy in how they manage their finances and operations.
The assumption that private always means expensive is not entirely wrong. But many well-endowed private universities offer significant financial aid that can make the net cost competitive with a large public. Northwestern, for example, carries a substantial endowment and can afford to be generous with aid when it wants to be.
Private Universities, not being tied to the state, can often forge their own identities. It is not in the Big Ten but a good example of this is Notre Dame that has an identity based around religion.
Private universities on the whole tend to be a little smaller given the above factors. There are exceptions however and USC in the Big Ten is one with a student population size similar to that of public universities. Location is likely to be a factor in this.
How Does This Play Out in the Big Ten?
The Big Ten was originally built around large Midwestern public flagships. These were the biggest, most prestigious universities in their states, with massive student bodies, passionate alumni bases, and a natural combination of high-level research and top-tier athletics.
That pattern has held through every expansion wave. Of the conference’s current 18 full members, 16 are public universities and only two are private: Northwestern and USC.
Northwestern has been part of the Big Ten since the conference’s founding in 1896 — it is the original exception to the public-heavy rule. USC joined in 2024 as part of the group of former Pac-12 schools that moved across when that conference effectively collapsed. If you missed it, I wrote about what happened to the Pac-12 here.
The Big Ten at a Glance
| School | State | Public / Private | Approx. Student Population | 1st Joined Big Ten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois | Illinois | Public | 52,700 | 1896 |
| Indiana University | Indiana | Public | 43,100 | 1899 |
| University of Iowa | Iowa | Public | 32,200 | 1899 |
| University of Maryland | Maryland | Public | 40,500 | 2014 |
| University of Michigan | Michigan | Public | 47,900 | 1896 |
| Michigan State University | Michigan | Public | 49,700 | 1950 |
| University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Public | 52,000 | 1896 |
| University of Nebraska | Nebraska | Public | 25,100 | 2011 |
| Northwestern University | Illinois | Private | 22,600 | 1896 |
| Ohio State University | Ohio | Public | 61,400 | 1912 |
| Penn State University | Pennsylvania | Public | 46,800 | 1990 |
| Purdue University | Indiana | Public | 46,700 | 1896 |
| Rutgers University | New Jersey | Public | 50,400 | 2014 |
| University of Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Public | 44,600 | 1896 |
| UCLA | California | Public | 46,000 | 2024 |
| University of Southern California (USC) | California | Private | 47,147 | 2024 |
| University of Oregon | Oregon | Public | 24,448 | 2024 |
| University of Washington | Washington | Public | 29,800 | 2024 |
Why Does This Matter?
On the field, public versus private makes no visible difference. But when you start looking at finances, it starts to matter quite a bit.
Public universities in the US are subject to freedom of information laws. That means their athletic department finances (i.e. revenue, expenditure, coaching salaries etc) are often publicly accessible in a way that private university data simply is not. Northwestern and USC are not obligated to disclose in the same way that Michigan, Ohio State, or Penn State are. For anyone trying to review financials in college football, it is a meaningful distinction.
There is also the question of governance. Public Big Ten schools ultimately answer to state government and public accountability structures. Private schools like Northwestern and USC are directed by their own boards and are less exposed to the political environment in any given state capital. Some of the challenges of being public were borne out at LSU in the SEC this year, where the governer made some very public comments on the coaching situation.
Now that the sport has moved into this new era of revenue sharing with players, flexibility and ability to manoeuvre has real consequences for how quickly and freely schools can act. I wonder how much of the fact that most schools are public in the Big Ten, impacted the recent potential private investment.
Digging Deeper
Over the next few weeks, I will be looking more closely at the finances of individual Big Ten programs. This include what they earn, spend and how they are utilising their different sizes and resources. The public/private distinction will come up more than once, so it is worth keeping in the back of your mind.
