Abbreviation of 私立大学 (しりつだいがく). Used in the same contexts as the full term, especially in news, education, and casual conversation.
See also: 私立大学
He was accepted into the medical school of a private university.
Tuition at private universities is higher than at national/public ones.
My older brother attends a private university in Tokyo.
She took entrance exams for three private universities.
Private university tuition fees are higher than those of national universities.
国公立大学 refers to national and public universities, which are contrasted with 私大 (private universities) in terms of tuition and admission difficulty.
school (suffix/counter) · proofreading; proof (counter)
Abbreviation formed from the first characters of 私立 (しりつ, private) and 大学 (だいがく, university).