What are the Differences of Universities From Colleges?


There is a very distinct difference between college and university. For example, in the United States, a college is an educational institution that offers a four year advance education. Traditionally speaking a college is also part of a university. Big universities are split into various colleges that provide very different degrees. For instance the University of California has colleges of law, music, science, and liberal arts. There are deans of colleges that supervise each college, while the power to grant degrees is only through the overhead university.

College was first utilized in the United States because institutions for high education back then were small ones. They usually didn’t approximate the grandeur of English universities like Oxford. In the early years only men were allowed to attend colleges like Harvard. But when colleges grew, some of these educational institutions changed their names from college to university. It reflected a change not just in name but also in their ability to provide more advanced education. University and college are also closely linked to institute, which can also grant advanced degrees.

The terms university and college can be synonymous in the same way that they can be utilized as a manner of giving higher stature to a school of higher learning. In fact, California has three systems in granting degrees. One is the many state community and junior colleges. Then there’s California State University system, and there’s also University of California system. Usually CSUs are referred to as state colleges that do not provide grant degrees, while the UC system gives doctorates and medical degrees. It is also more on research and larger attendance.

A lot of colleges in CSU system have impressive education programs. On the other hand the CSU consists of separate schools while offering a number of degrees. But the UC system is of a higher stature, is more expensive, and is backed by more distinguished professors. And even though CSU is considered a university from a technical standpoint, it is likewise called a college in order to differentiate it from UC system.

However a college is not even considered as an institute of higher education in some countries. In New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Ireland, colleges are used to describe secondary schools. A college in Canada, on the other hand, refers to a junior college, or can even refer to a certificate college providing training in trades.