Purpose: The main objective of this paper to study the organisational culture (OC) in private and public higher education institutions (HEIs) from the perspective of faculty members in order to provide empirical insights on the differences and consequently pave an avenue for cross-learning. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 594 faculty members (33.9 per cent from public HEIs and 52.8 per cent from private HEIs) using the competing values framework (CVF). Findings: The factor analysis results reveal an important confirmation of the theoretical findings in the literature with respect to the four OC types (i.e. clan, adhocracy, hierarchical, and market) that were originally developed for use in the corporate sector. The independent sample t-test results suggest that the faculty members perceive all the four OC types as being significantly different between public and private HEIs. Practical implications: This paper raises awareness and provides initial guidelines to both public and private HEIs in formulating strategies on how to deal properly with their OC from the perspective of their faculty members for the attainment of organisational goals and vision. Originality/value: This article extends knowledge on OC differences between the public and private higher education--an enabler for change management of sorts. Being among the first of its kind, it further opens up new lines of future research possibilities. (Contains 7 tables.)