Types of Colleges

Colleges and Universities

A college is defined as an institution of higher education offering instruction beyond high school whose programs satisfy the requirements for a degree at the associates and/or baccalaureate and graduate levels.  Colleges usually offer a wide range of degree programs with faculty whose duties include teaching and scholarly research.

A university is defined as an institution of higher learning offering instruction beyond high school whose programs satisfy the requirements for a degree at the baccalaureate and graduate levels.  Universities are generally composed of several individual colleges and professional schools (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, School of Law).

Public vs. Private

All institutions are either privately or publicly controlled.  There are about 2,500 private institutions and 1,000 public institutions in the United States.  The chart below highlights some basic differences.

  Private Public
Student Body These institutions may be co-educational, or exclusively for women or men. These institutions are co-educational.
Control These institutions are either non-sectarian and run by a board of trustees, with no special affiliation, or they are religiously affiliated.  Some church-related institutions have strong affiliations that can affect curriculum and regulations while others have less strong affiliations. These institutions are controlled by the state, county, or municipality.
Size Size varies from small to large Size varies, many are large
Tuition Privately controlled institutions are usually more expensive.  Financial aid programs may overcome this difference. Publically supported institutions are typically less expensive.  Funded by state monies, tuition is usually lower for in-state students than for out-of-state students.
Liberal Arts Colleges are designed to provide students with a broad foundation in the arts and sciences.  Students can major in humanities, social sciences, natural science, mathematics, or the fine and performing arts while working towards a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree.  Most colleges, even if not a liberal arts school, require students to complete a number of liberal arts core courses.

A technical institute is a degree-granting college that offers intensive training in engineering and other scientific fields. Undergraduate study sometimes requires five years.  Recently, some schools of technology have coordinated their programs with liberal arts colleges.

A two-year college can be a junior college, community college or state college. These institutes offer the Associates of Arts, Associates of Science, and Associates of Applied Science Degrees.  A two-year college can provide preparation for transfer to a four-year institution or general education to those not seeking a baccalaureate degree.  Admissions criteria at community colleges are usually open, meaning that all high school graduates are accepted.

A cooperative college or university offers a four or five-year work study program.  Periods of study on campus are alternated with periods of paid employment in business and industry.  The objective of the cooperative education program is to provide practical work experience with classroom theory.  Many colleges integrate cooperative education into several of their curricula offerings.

There are several avenues that lead to preparation in nursing.  Some hospitals offer three years of training leading to state certification as a Registered Nurse.  Many colleges and universities offer a four-year program of liberal arts and nursing training leading to a Bachelor of Science degree with RN State Certification.  Many two-year colleges, in conjunction with local hospitals, offer nursing programs.
The Service Academies include The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY; The U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, The U.S. Coast Guard Academy at New London, CT; The U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY.  The Service Academies are four-year colleges offering baccalaureate degrees.  Their primary purpose is to develop officers for military service.
Career Schools come in many forms.  Generally, they are private, non-college professional schools that offer highly specialized training for specific careers such as music, photography, dramatics, culinary arts, court reporting, etc.  Some career schools emphasize business, with training in secretarial work.  Other career schools offer technical programs such as air conditioning, heating and refrigeration, computer technology, medical technology, and automotive repair.  Career programs are usually one to three years in length and offer a certificate of completion.