Are private colleges and universities a better deal than public ones?

My young cousin Cate is a senior in high school and debating what college or university to pick for the fall. She has been wanting to go to UC Berkeley for years, as her dad is an alumnus, but after recent student protests at UC and Cal State campuses over tuition increases, reduced classes and budget cuts, Cate has definitely been having second thoughts about enrolling in the state's tarnished school system.