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Survey Finds that Private Colleges Have Much More Space Per Student Than Public Counterparts

By Lawrence Biemiller, Chronicle of Higher Education, March 18, 2005

This article covers a nationwide survey of campus facilities, known as the Campus Facilities Inventory, conducted by the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) that shows private colleges and universities typically have far more usable space per student than their public counterparts—from 40 percent more space to almost twice as much.

Excerpts:

...The survey found significant differences between private and public institutions—as well as between larger and smaller institutions—in subcategories of campus space, such as classrooms, libraries, and athletics facilities. The amount of library space per student, for instance, was largest among the smallest four-year institutions and those with 10,000 to 24,999 students.

Total Campus Net Assignable Square Feet (NASF) per Student*
(excluding institutions with predominately graduate and professional students)

Headcount Enrollment	Public 4-year and above	Private 4-year and above	2-year

Fewer than 2,500	117	179	121
2,500 - 4,999	86	121	55
5,000 - 9,999	101	159	56
10,000 - 24,999	121	230	37
25,000 or more	130	**	23

Notes:
*Data exclude parking structures, residential space, and interactive space.
**The survey included no institutions in this category.
Source: Society for College and University Planning. (The 2004 survey containing the above data can be ordered on SCUP's website.)