What's the Difference between a College and University?

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I have noticed that many European members of the board say that they attend a college, and then go on to a university. This suggests that the education received at a university is in some way superior to that received in a college. I find this odd, because in the U.S. the terms of college and university are used pretty much interchangably. There is no need to attend college before going to a university, and if fact, most people go only to one or the other, and the degree that you get is pretty much the same regardless.

The main difference between a college and a university in the U.S. is the number of areas of study it offers. Generally speaking, colleges offer fewer areas of study than universities. Some universities actually seperate their areas of study into individual colleges. So in some respects, a university can be considered a compilation of several colleges. However, in terms of quality of education, it is not necessarily true that universities are superior to colleges. If you are interested in an area of study that a college specializes in, it is quite likely that the college actually has a better program in that particular area than does a similarly priced university.

So what gives with the European distinction?

 

Colleges are mainly for smaller courses. Usually spread over 6 months, or year or maybe 2 years for the longer courses. A lot of the courses are 'part-time', one day a week, night courses or weekend courses. You don't get a room or anything like that like. It's purely like an extension of secondary school.

University's are for more 'full-time' education. Courses are years long, cost a lot of money and you'll have a room. Lectures each day, loads of studying etc.

If I had a full-time job, but had day release one day a week to study, it'd be for a college, not a uni. That's basics of it as I understand it.

 

In New Zealand, a college is where you go from age 13 to 17 or 18. After you have finished college, you may choose to go to university to do something like a 3 year degree.

 

Basically, if you're doing a degree you're at Univesity.

So:
College = A-levels or equivalent,
University = Degree or equivalent,

Short courses/evening courses can be run at either, though it tends to be desribed as "College" because it isn't a degree.

However, Universities may describe themselves as Colleges (Imperial College, University of London; Trinity College, Oxford University etc.)

Clear as mud hey!

 

The many systems are confusing, but as a rule, if it can grant a graduate degree it probably has to be a university (except professional Master's known in some countries, which is not exactly a normal academic graduate degree).

 

No colleges here. Higher education (above high school level) is teached in two grades above 10th in special schools called 'Gymnasium'. It reaches from 4th or 6th to 12th grade.

After finishing Gymnasium you can go to University.

 

In Canada both colleges and universities are post-high school education but generally speaking universities are degree granting institutions (i.e. your traditional B.A., MBA, P.H.D. degrees) where as colleges offer skilled trade training and grant diplomas (e.g. a diploma in graphics design, cooking, or electronics repair).

To really mess things up though some universities have sub-areas that they call colleges within them for things like religious studies - but they grant the normal university degrees for those programs. The university I went to had a half dozen or so religious colleges attached to the school. I could have taken courses through them but I never did so I can't really say what they were like.

 

Man, how hard is it to get consistent use of a couple of basic words?

 

Harbourboy, pretty hard.

At Duke University, where I earned my graduate degree, the divisions granting bahelor's level degrees (the one right after high school) were called colleges: Trinity College was the main undergraduate body. And the graduate-degree granting divisions were schools: School of Law, School of Medicine, and so forth. Now how's that for confusing?

 

What's 'dangerous' about this thread?

 

it depends, sometimes (in the UK) it is simply name only. e.g. the royal welsh college of music and drama is a university. from a level of education though, university is considered 'higher' education, while college isnt, sometimes college a'level and as'level courses are available in comprehensive school as 6th form.

 

@Barmy Army, a little education is a dangerous thing.

Near me is a community college that offers Associate degrees; basically 2 year courses. It also offers Certificates and courses for Seniors and others. I could take a course that would have me travel somewhere. Then people can either go on to a College that offers more advanced degrees or to a University. A University is usually larger and offers a great deal more variety.

 

My high school was actually called a college, believe it or not . AFAIK, in Bulgaria a college is an institution of what used to be called a "semi-high" education, kind of like a parallel track to a university that you can go on after you finish high school. However, while the university was mostly theoretical, colleges provided mostly practical knowledge and as such were a place for higher qualification for technicians or nurses (while engineers and doctors had to have a degree from a university). Now the line is getting a little blurred, but a college would still mostly prepare you for more "hands-on" professions and have shorter courses, up to a B.A/Sc equivalent.

 

I think a big part of the problem is translation. In Dutch, the word 'college' mostly means lecture, or multiple lectures. When I would say: "I'm going of to college", I would mean that I'm going to the university to follow lectures. However, when I see the word college used in English, I immediately think of an education lower than the kind of education you would get at a university.

Let me give you a quick overview of the education system in the Netherlands.
After high-school, there are three levels of education you can follow:
MBO: This is the lowest form of education you can get, after high-school. Here you can become a nurse, or... I can't really think of another example, but either way, low end jobs.
HBO: After high school, you can go here and take a four year study to get you Bachelor degree. This is a little more practical than a university study. I would call this a College in English.
University: Here you will get your Masters degree after a four or five year study, and whatever titles you want to get after that. It is more theoretical than a HBO-study.

So, that is how I use the words, mainly because I don't know a good English equivalent of our HBO, and college sounds a little less important than university.

 

In the US a college is generally just a small university. For example, there's Harvard University and a Harvard College. (Most?) colleges in the US offer a Bachelor's (4-year) degree and some have a few Master's as well.

 

There are some tertary education colleges here in NZ. The main ones that jump to mind are teacher training colleges.

[Edit] Looking at a list of public education providers put out by the government, there are 5 'colleges' in New Zealand, who deal with education after secondary school, with the one in Palmy been the only one that doesn't seem to be solely for teachers.


Auckland College of Education (Auckland)
Wellington College of Education (Wellington)
Christchurch College of Education (Christchurch)
Dunedin College of Education (Dunedin)
Universal College of Learning (Palmerston North)

 

The problem with this claim is that within Europe there also exists major differences on education. Most countries have more or less different systems. I suppose a college would be everything you study after the gymnasium (which would be the 10th, 11th and 12th grade) including universities around here. Universities being for academic studies and other institutions (which I'm unable to transelate to English) for more technical studies.

 

I always assumed that they were just different words. That is, what we define as "college", you define as "high school", and what we define as university you define as college.

 

So confusing. Basically secondary school goes up to the 12th grade. Both colleges and universities give out degrees in the U.S. People who learn trades do not attand colleges, but instead go to trade schools, which are commonly referred to as "technical schools", "trade schools", or for some reason "technical/trade institutions".