Difference between a College and University

Difference between a College and University

When someone tells you they are “going to college,” generally, it means they are attending a higher institution of learning. However, it doesn’t mean that they are attending a college. They could be attending a university, so what’s the difference between a university and a college, anyway? I’m going to discuss the difference between a college and university in this write-up.

What’s a College?

A smaller institution that offers undergraduate degrees is referred to as a college. Some colleges like junior and community colleges may give only two-year degrees. Most of them offer bachelor’s degrees while some have associate degrees. Since their focus is one-degree type, their class sizes are usually smaller; hence, they can award students a better degree with personalized attention from advisors and faculty.

Colleges devote less to research efforts and devote more to undergraduate teaching. Also, they are more subject and course-oriented in general, which means they can teach fewer theoretical or abstract subjects. They place less importance on hands-on self-reliant research than universities.

Most colleges are specialized due to their limited enrollment. Others focus absolutely on engineering disciplines. Since many colleges are private, which means they don’t belong to state governments. Therefore many of them offer unique curriculums or have religious affiliations.

Pros of Colleges

• You receive extra personalized attention from academic advisors and professors.
• Colleges give greater focus to undergraduates teaching.
• The student community is more unified and closer to colleges.
• They offer greater curriculum specialization for students with specific interests.

Cons

• They have fewer facilities and resources for conducting research.
• Colleges do not give direct entry to more advanced degrees.
• Their faculties don’t lead researchers in their specialties.
• Most of them have lesser overall program offerings.

What’s a University?

An institution that offers graduate and undergraduate degrees is referred to as a university. Universities give graduate programs that lead to a Ph.D. or a master’s degree. Also, they have a law or medical school for students seeking professional degrees. Some universities give special programs whereby their students can attain both a graduate degree and an undergraduate degree in less amount of time.

Due to the large numbers of students who enroll in universities, they offer more diverse programs and classes than a college. Universities give more opportunities for hands-on learning by partnerships and independent with their graduate students on specific projects.

Pros of a University

• Available facilities to students and plenty of research opportunities.
• A more diverse student community and offer more programs.
• Professors era highly reputable personalities in their specialties of research

Cons

• They prioritize research over undergraduate teaching.
• It is hard to switch majors due to the bureaucracy involved in a university.

The term University and college have had many confused, but now that you have known the difference between university and college, you are in a position to decide based on the information you have learned from this write-up on your path forward and what suits you best.