[Lifestyle] College vs. University in the U.S.: What's the Difference?

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College vs. University in the U.S.: What's the Difference?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN a college and a university in the U.S. may not always be apparent to students who grew up in other parts of the world. The word "college" doesn't have the same meaning in every country, which can create confusion for prospective international students interested in studying in the U.S.

"In Spanish, 'colegio' means high school," says George DaPonte, director of international admissions at the University of Tampa in Florida, citing one example.

For this and other reasons, some prospective students may pass over U.S. schools that have "college" instead of "university" in their name, admissions experts say. By doing so, students could miss out on a school that may have been a good fit.

While some four-year postsecondary institutions in the U.S. have "college" in their name and others have "university," both types grant undergraduate degrees. Here are some things to keep in mind when researching U.S. institutions that call themselves colleges and those that identify as universities.
What Is a College?
Oftentimes schools with "college" in their name are smaller institutions that emphasize undergraduate education, Johanna Fishbein, head of university advising at the United World College of South East Asia's Dover Campus, an international school, said by email. This is not a strict rule, since there are a number of exceptions.

Some colleges, known as liberal arts colleges, give students an education in a broad range of academic areas as opposed to having them specialize early in one particular subject.

Since liberal arts colleges are uncommon outside the U.S., prospective international students aren't always familiar with them, says Carly Mankus, senior assistant dean of international admission at Franklin and Marshall College, a liberal arts school in Pennsylvania.

Prospective students may also sometimes mistakenly believe liberal arts institutions only focus on the humanities, admissions experts say. But many of these schools offer degrees in science fields too.
What Is a University?

Many schools with "university" in their name are larger institutions that offer a variety of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Public universities are some of the most sizable schools, sometimes enrolling tens of thousands of students. These schools are also highly committed to producing research.

But it is a misconception that all schools with "university" in their name are big, says Chelsea Keeney, assistant director of international student recruitment at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities.

Some are relatively small, such as Marymount California University, which had a total enrollment of 985 students in fall 2016, per U.S. News data.

Also, not all universities are public. Private universities include, among many institutions, some of the Ivy League schools, like Princeton University.

Sometimes adding to the confusion for international students, Keeney says, is the fact that large universities are often made up of smaller divisions called colleges. Each of these colleges has a specific academic focus, such as business, engineering or social work.