There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States. The typical high school student only applies to about 20 of these, sometimes even less. In order to determine which schools will receive your application, you’ll need to know how to differentiate between each. This article will outline the main types of colleges and universities based on a few general factors, which are as follows:
- Institution
- Funding
- Duration
- Specialization
- Population
- Religious Affiliation
- Course of Study
There is a college for every student; the key is simply finding the right match for you.
Institution
The first distinction to be made is small but necessary: every post-secondary school (school attended after high school level) is considered an institution, but within that category, schools can either be considered a College or a University. Many people refer to both colleges and universities as just colleges, given that both offer the same degrees, but there is one key difference that sets the two apart from each other: Size.
Colleges tend to be smaller than universities, both in overall student population, as well as average class size. As a result, students who attend colleges usually report a more personalized experience, or the sense that they can form deeper connections with their fellow classmates and professors.
Universities, on the other hand, are usually larger, to the point where many universities contain several specialized colleges within them. For example, most universities have colleges in education, engineering, and the health sciences (also known as school of education, engineering, center for data science, etc.); at these universities, students have the option to switch colleges, or to take classes from a college separate from the one they are enrolled in. This allows the university to offer a wider variety of majors and degree options.
Similarly, because of their size, universities also tend to serve as research centers. This makes attending a university more appealing to those who are interested in pursuing research during their studies, since they will likely have access to more resources and funding.
Funding
Funding, or the source of an institution’s money, determines whether it is considered Public or Private. Public institutions are funded by local and state governments, and as a result, do not rely on students’ tuition for the majority of their resources. This makes Public institutions more likely to charge lower tuitions than private institutions.
Some common types of public institutions include:
- Community Colleges - Community colleges receive funding from state governments, local taxes, and student tuitions, which is why they are able to charge notoriously low tuitions and fees. Community colleges provide an affordable option to students with economic disadvantages; they offer two-year associate degrees and career-specific associate degrees and certificates, intended to prepare students for four-year bachelor degree programs.
- State Schools - State schools are systems of public institutions which are funded by a regional district, such as federal, territory, or state districts. As a result, state schools tend to be less expensive than private schools or even other public schools. In general, state universities do not exclude applicants from other states, but they do tend to give priority to students from the same state, and the cost of tuition may increase for out-of-state applicants. The State University of New York system (SUNY) includes 64 different institutions, including Binghamton University and Stony Brook University.
- City Schools - Similar to state schools, city schools are systems of public institutions funded by regional districts, this time specific to cities rather than states. One of the largest systems of city institutions is the City University of New York (CUNY), which contains about 26 institutions and includes Baruch College, the City College of New York (CCNY), and Hunter College. City colleges do not exclude students from outside of the specified city, but they do tend to prioritize city residents.
Alternatively, although Private institutions charge higher tuitions, they are also able to distribute more financial aid to their students. Private institutions receive their funding from students’ tuition and non-government funding sources, such as private donations. These donations are often able to pay for large financial aid packages and can sometimes be used to cover full-ride scholarships, which refers to scholarships that cover all of a student’s tuition and fees.
Additionally, there are also federally funded institutions, which take the form of the U.S. Service Academies. U.S. Service Academies are institutions designated specifically to different military groups, including:
- The U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA)
- The U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA)
- The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)
- The U.S. Military Academy (USMA)
- The U.S. Naval Academy (USNA)
Because all U.S. Service Academies are funded by the federal government, they do not charge any tuition. Students at these institutions will pursue general education as well as rigorous physical training, depending on the academy. Upon graduating certain academies, students may go on to serve in the United States air force, military, or navy.
Duration
Most institutions are Four-Year colleges, also called undergraduate colleges, which offer bachelor’s degrees such as bachelor’s of the arts, fine arts, and sciences. As the name suggests, these institutions last for four years, following the traditional college structure where the first year is referred to as freshman year, the second sophomore, the third junior, and the final senior.
Alternatively, some institutions last for half that amount of time, called Two-Year colleges. These institutions offer certificate and associate programs that can be completed in two years. Community colleges, which were mentioned earlier, tend to be two-year colleges, but some of them are four-year; other two-year colleges can include vocational-technical and career schools (see below).
Specialization
Certain institutions are designed with a specialization in mind—a focus in one area of study. This makes it easier for students who know they want to pursue a career in those areas to apply to schools where they are guaranteed access to the classes they need, especially if their area of interest is more niche. Here are a few common types of institutions with a specialization:
- Liberal Arts Colleges - Liberal Arts colleges offer a variety of courses in the liberal arts areas, which include History, Languages, Life Sciences, Literature, and Mathematics. These colleges tend to be Private institutions; as a result, you can expect them to offer four-year bachelor’s programs.
- Arts Colleges - Arts colleges feature regular coursework in subject areas as well as training in the arts areas, including: Drawing, Fashion Design, Music, Photography, Sculpting, and Theatre. These institutions typically offer associate or bachelor’s degrees in the arts.
- Vocational-Technical and Career Colleges - Vocational-Technical and Career colleges offer specialized training in a specific industry. Common areas of study at these institutions include the Culinary Arts, Dental Hygiene, Firefighting, and Medical-Records Technology. Vocational-Technical and Career institutions usually offer certificates or associate degrees.
Population
Certain institutions limit or cater their student populations to a specific demographic. These types of institutions were originally created to grant more educational opportunities to marginalized groups, or minority groups which have historically been denied equal access to education. These institutions offer programs and services targeted toward the underrepresented students they serve, which is why many of them remain widely praised today. Here are some of the most common types:
- Single-sex institutions: institutions which consist of either male-only students or female-only students.
- HBCU: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or institutions which give priority to students who are African-American, Black, or students of color.
- HSI: Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or institutions in which the full-time student population is at least 25% Hispanic.
Religious Affiliation
Some Private institutions are affiliated with a specific religious faith, most commonly Christianity. This tends to occur because most postsecondary schools were historically created with a connection to religion, and some institutions chose to maintain that connection rather than abandon it. These institutions do not usually require students to belong to the same faith, but many will require that students observe religious practices (such as attending church), take mandatory theology courses, or abide by specific codes of conduct. Some of the most selective religious institutions include Georgetown University and the University of Notre Dame.
Regardless of the institution’s religious affiliation, all colleges and universities are prohibited from discriminating against students on a basis of faith.
Course of Study
The final distinction to be made between institutions is undergraduate versus graduate studies. Undergraduate studies are what most people picture when thinking of a traditional postsecondary school; undergraduate schools usually offer bachelor’s degrees, most of which take four years to complete. The goal of a bachelor’s degree is to prepare students for entry-level jobs in a variety of fields; this is reflected in the structure of undergraduate institutions, which typically provide broad knowledge in a diverse range of subjects in order to give students as many career options as possible. For this reason, undergraduate schools most often feature lectures and structured coursework.
While every student who attends a postsecondary institution attends an undergraduate school, not all students attend graduate school. In order to attend a graduate institution, a student must first earn a degree from an undergraduate institution, which is why graduate degrees are much less common. Graduate schools usually offer master’s or doctoral degrees, with master’s programs taking 1-2 years to complete and doctoral degrees taking 4-6 (or more) years.
Whereas undergraduate study aims to cover general education in as many fields as possible, graduate study aims to focus on only a few fields. Graduate study is advanced and tailored to each student, with classes usually taking the form of seminars and independent research. Graduate degrees open the door to specialized careers, leadership positions, and higher salaries, usually in jobs that feature a fair amount of research themselves. Additionally, although both undergraduate and graduate degrees offer scholarships, grants, and loans, only graduate degrees offer unique opportunities like fellowships, stipends, and teaching or research assistantships.
So the next time you’re looking for a postsecondary school to apply to, be sure to look out for the key words used in this article, and see if you can remember what each means for the institution you’re looking at. By understanding the difference between a college and a university, or a private school and a public one, you can decide which makes the most sense for your educational goals, and help shorten that list of schools to look into. Start the journey to find your college match today!
Sources:
About CUNY by The City University of New York
Community College by EducationUSA
A Guide to the Changing Number of U.S. Universities by U.S. News
Military Service Academies by The U.S. Department of War
Understanding the Different Types of Colleges by BigFuture
What Is SUNY? by The State University of New York
What’s the Difference Between Graduate & Undergraduate Programs? by National University
