2007-03-21 11:33:34 · 6 answers · asked by bitch 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
This question gets asked all the time on this site, and hardly any answerers ever get it right. That drives me nuts.
PLEASE, trust me on this one.
In the US, people use the term "college" to refer to both, but there is actually a difference.
A college is an institution that has a "college of arts and sciences," in which there are departments of study like English, Philosophy, Political Science, History, Biology, Chemistry, etc.
A university is a larger institution which is made up of several colleges, including the college of arts and sciences, but also including (for example) a college of business, a college of education, a college of fine arts, a college of engineering, etc.
In addition, while some (but not all) colleges have graduate programs in a certain few fields, universities usually have graduate programs in many fields, and may (but not necessarily) have a medical school and/or a law school.
There are both private colleges and private universities, and public (state-funded) colleges, and public (state-funded) universities.
2007-03-21 11:45:51 · answer #1 · answered by X 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A university is usually a larger (and state-funded) school that contains within it several colleges for different fields of study. For example, a university may have within it the college of education, the college of arts and literature, and the college of math and science, the college of philosophy, etc. Any single organization not part of a university that has "college" in it's name is usually smaller, although there may be different major programs offered. A college can be state-funded, or private. Private colleges can be faith-based or restrict enrollment to men, women, African-Americans, etc. Universities get large amounts of state funding and thus must be open to all races, ages, genders, etc.
2007-03-21 18:44:22 · answer #2 · answered by Stimpy 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
College is usually a broad term. For example you would say: I'm going off to college, instead of, I'm going of to a university. The latter just sounds goofy. Dictionary.com defines college and university at the links below.
2007-03-21 18:47:09 · answer #3 · answered by Sarah 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont think that there in a really big difference but what people always tell me is that a university has very higher standars whether it is education or just the look of the place and what standards they are treating you in.
2007-03-21 18:38:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
colleges usually provide genaral ed and very little else, universities are where you go to get a digree.
2007-03-21 18:42:29 · answer #5 · answered by bigman77 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Nothing - it's the same thing.
2007-03-21 18:36:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋