university

A public university is an institution of higher education that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or regional government. In places such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe, most significant universities are public, while in the United States and Japan, both public and private universities are common and generally regarded as having similar academic standards. Many major public universities around the world were formerly private or religious institutions.

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 institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University and other Ivy League universities. While this perception continues, some of the top public institutions, like the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan are highly prestigious as well. In fact, many of these universities are referred to as Public Ivies in an influential book by Richard Moll.