When you’re deciding what colleges to apply to, there are a few big ‘buckets’ when it comes to types of schools. Among those buckets, the three best known are small liberal art schools, private universities, and public universities. For many students, it isn’t a matter of picking one type of school to apply to, but each type does offer unique attributes and opportunities. Most notably, perhaps, is that attending a public university in the state in which you live can save you tens of thousands of dollars each year on tuition.