what is the difference between a college and a university???

Answer 1

In the US, people tend to use the words interchangeably.

Technically, a university is made up of several colleges. In the US, they are usually broken down by subject. There could be a college of liberal arts and sciences, a college of nursing, a college of engineering, a college of Business and a Graduate college. Some schools in the US only have one college (usually arts and sciences) and only take undergraduates. These schools would be called colleges, and not universities.

In Europe, the breakdown of colleges may be different. Oxford and Cambridge have different colleges within the university where you can study the same topics. Each college may be funded by different sources or have some sort of autonomous control system.

Answer 2

The simplest definition of the difference is that colleges are single units, and universities are composed of multiple units.

As an example: Brown University in Providence, RI is composed of the "The College" (for undergraduate students pursuing bachelor's degrees), AND the School of Medicine AND the Graduate School for post-baccalaureate degrees.

A college is usually around a single goal: Purdue University is composed of a College of Agriculture, College of Education, College of Engineering, College of Science, School of Management, School of Veterinary Medicine...and so on.

In general, a student at a college is studying for an undergraduate degree, but a student at a university can be either underdgraduate, graduate, or professional student (depending on which school of college within the university that they attend).

Answer 3

No official definition in the U.S., but here are the factors:
size - Universities are bigger than colleges.
number of schools or degree programs offered - Universities offer more.
undergrad and grad programs - Universities have both; colleges more likely have just undergrad programs.
research - There is an expectation for a school to produce research to be considered a university.
marketing - A small school make call itself a university for image in the marketplace.

Answer 4

In general: A college is where the professors must focus on teaching the undergraduates and your money pays them.

A university is where most of the professors are too busy consulting or publishing or working with graduate students to bother with undergraduates and your money pays them to teach the grad students, while the grad students try to teach you.

Answer 5

A college is smaller than a university.