College or University- WHich is right for you?

What is the difference between a college and a university?  Don’t they mean the same thing?

Despite them being used interchangeably in American culture, the answer is NO they don’t mean the same thing.  In fact there are some distinct differences between the two types of institutions.  

When speaking of Universities, we are typically speaking of much larger institutions such as the University of Ohio or the University System in California.  Schools of this scale usually focus on research and their professors are typically leading the direction of study in their respective fields. Their student bodies are composed of undergraduates, graduates and PhD candidates, totalling well into the thousands.  However, that does not mean all universities are these massive institutions, Universities can be midsize such as Baylor University or Kansas State.  (But we will dive more into the differences between small, mid-size, and large universities in the coming weeks!)  

Undergraduate students at Universities have a vast selection of majors and minors to choose from assorted areas of study. Therefore many Universities will house similar areas of study in one school or college, such as the Marshall School of Business at USC or the College of Engineering at Northeastern University.  Once admitted into the University, many times, students will then have to apply to the school or college of their choice (admission into the University doesn’t always equate into admission in the school or college) before officially declaring their major. Undergraduates, no matter the type of institution, traditionally spend the first two year completing the general education and pre-qualification courses (depending on major) before they take courses within their declared majors.  

However, unlike Universities, Colleges typically focus on one area- such as the Liberal Arts as with Amherst College or applied sciences as with Harvey Mudd College- and therefore students are commonly admitted to their selected major from admission.  Their professors are more focused on teaching the next generation of scholars rather than their own personal research; and therefore a greater focus is on the undergraduate studies.  Their campuses are usually smaller, privately funded, and offer a more intimate experience than at a university.   Given their size, some will band together to form a coalition with nearby Colleges to share resources, such as with The Claremont Colleges, so their students can still diversify their studies.  

​So before you apply, make sure to research what type of institution you are looking to attend!

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