A Comparative Study of the Cost of Higher Education in Private and Public Universities in Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study aims to attempt a comparative study of the reasons for enrollment in private universities and to estimate the cost of education for higher education in both private and public universities in Bangladesh. Primary and secondary data are used in this study. The findings of the study indicated that the monthly average cost of education of a student in a private university is significantly higher than in a public university. The main reasons are that the students of private universities spend more money on tuition fees, accommodation costs and better living expenses than those of public universities, and the costs also largely vary (in both private and public universities) among the students within the same university. On an average, the parents' monthly income of students who are enrolled in private universities in significantly higher than that of public university and most of the parents are engaged in business or good government services. The cost of Education also depends on parents' income, family size, and the number of students in the same family. The study also indicates that on an average, monthly expenditures of male students are significantly higher than those of female students.