University vs College??

[deleted-account]

I started thinking about this from another thread.

 

When I was up in Canada once, I was talking to a guy who said up there that it is considered more prestigous to go to a "University" vs a "College." Do most people view it this way? Is it one of those regional differences?

 

I generally use the two terms as equals and never thought there was a difference until this guy said it to me. I went to a "University" but whenever I talk about it I refer to it as "College."

[cutiepie07]

I think it depends on where you are talking about. Over here (the US) the words are used interchangeably. It could also depend on the context, I think the word 'University' implies studying but the word 'College' is more so the overall environment. Don't know if that makes sense. I also tend to associate college more so with a liberal arts background.

 

I also know in Europe (like England) College and University aren't the same thing. You go to College first and then to University. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that.

[purpleduckie]

the word university and college is use interchangeably in the states. but in canada, university is the more prestigious one, yes. it's where ou go to get your undergrad/graduate degrees. college is more for certificates and diploma's and stuff. but of course, it depends on what you want to do.

[agent1607307371]

UK - college is where you go to get the grades to go to Uni. Not sure what the difference is in US/Canada.

[Mandoro]

Well in the states people do use them interchangeably. The deep down meaning is the same as the european versions its just not really thought about on a day to day basis I guess.

 

I had to think about this and the examples I have are there are community college and technical school and then there are the universities: Texas A&M, Florida, Nebraska, etc.

 

The universities happen to be top tier, so that in turn I guess would make them more prestigious?

[thejigsup]

A Universtiy, in the US, has a grad school. You can get your Masters and PhD. there. A college only give a Bachelors degree. I went to a college, and a very good one at that, but I went somewhere else to do my Masters. The college I went to DID have a separate grad school attached to it, but it was kind of a separate institution and it cost $1,400 per unit! As I said, the institution was very nice. I got a full ride at the school I earned my Bachelors from. It would have cost me $900 per unit to get my B.A., and this was several years ago. So, no, college can be just as, if not more, prestigious as University here.

[Multiplicity]

Well, in the states, you have community college (and those technical schools). Then you have state universities, and then university of (whatever state). Like in California, you have your variety of community colleges (low level), then you have state university (i.e. San Jose State University, middle level), then you have the higher university (i.e. University of California Santa Cruz, higher level). Then you have your unique, historical, and well known universities like Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, etc. for the rich folk.

 

Anyway, point I am making here, is at least in California, and presumably around the country, going to community college first, then transfer to a major university is a good route to take. It's cheaper, and your BA/BS degree will be from the major university you graduate from (the degree isn't going to say, "oh, btw, this guy went to a comm college"). In the end, it would make no difference between someone who started out in a community college to later transfer than someone who pretty much started out in a major university. Only difference? Cost and quality of education.

 

A lightly amusing thing compared to how the words are used in other countries, is that at least in Uni of Cali, Santa Cruz, the campus has ten or so "colleges" that, when combined together, makes up the university.

[shikashika]

In Canada, a college is where you go to get a diploma or certificate.

 

A University is where you go to get a degree, either Bachelors, Masters or PhD.

 

Some community colleges have transfers programmes where you can take university level courses and then transfer over to a university.

 

I would not say I went to college. College is where you go to get a 2 year diploma.

 

In England, some people use college to refer to their A levels, which are the last two years of their 'high school' before they go on to university.

 

It can get confusing on ENA when you hear about someone saying they went to 'college' because depending on where they are from it can mean 3 different things.

[Cognitive_Canine]

In the states, the words college and university are interchangable.

 

Although, the word university is more formal.

[poloplayer]

I went to University, and I left with a degree from one of the colleges.

 

I'm at a different University right now, obtaining a degree from one of the schools (not college).

 

A University is a conglomerate of schools. You apply to, and graudate from, a school within the University.

[Cognitive_Canine]

I went to University, and I left with a degree from one of the colleges.

 

I'm at a different University right now, obtaining a degree from one of the schools (not college).

 

A University is a conglomerate of schools. You apply to, and graudate from, a school within the University.

 

Do you go to a very large university?

 

Such as, my boyfriend goes to an extremely large university which is separated into several colleges/schools.

 

Schools of arts and science

 

College of law

 

College of accounting

 

etc....

[laisla]

when we say college we mean community college for the most part, unless we're talking about a college within a university. colleges are either more technical or group-based work. you get a degree in university and a diploma in college, mostly (some programs differ). there's not much difference with a few of the programs offered...for e.g. both universities and colleges offer nursing, they can both get you the same types of jobs, it's just that some may either go to university for nursing to further their education or because they like the university.

 

see i'm getting a bachelor of arts in sociology at a university...the closest similar program i'd be able to take in college would be a general arts diploma. i wouldn't be able to get into grad school with that, or teacher's college (this is a specialized school, usually within universities, that prepare you for becoming a teacher).

 

if you wanted to become a mechanic within a couple years, you'd go to college. in university you'd take mechanical engineering which widens your scope.

[shikashika]

Do you go to a very large university?

 

Such as, my boyfriend goes to an extremely large university which is separated into several colleges/schools.

 

Schools of arts and science

 

College of law

 

College of accounting

 

etc....

 

 

See at the university I went to, we have the University, which is broken down into Faculties. Faculty of Medicine (Department of Pediatrics, opthamology etc), Faculty of Science (department of Geology, biology) , Faculty of Arts (Department of History, English, Scandanavian Languages) etc

 

The University which I'm working at now has Faculty of Business, then Schools of Accounting, School of Finance... Faculty of Science then school of Chemistry, Biology etc.

 

another thing, when I say, "I'm going back to school" I mean university.

 

Or even if you are at university, people may say, "Do you go to school?" They mean university... where as for some people, school is only for children... primary, elementary, junior high school etc.

[laisla]

another thing, when I say, "I'm going back to school" I mean university.

 

Or even if you are at university, people may say, "Do you go to school?" They mean university... where as for some people, school is only for children... primary, elementary, junior high school etc.

 

when speaking to relatives i say in my native language "i'm going to school", but that does not make much sense to them because school is like you said, for primary secondary schools...they say "faculta" which means college/university.

[shikashika]

when speaking to relatives i say in my native language "i'm going to school"' date=' but that does not make much sense to them because school is like you said, for primary secondary schools...they say "faculta" which means college/university.[/quote']

 

 

yes that's true... even within a country there are linguistic differences.

[Cognitive_Canine]

See at the university I went to, we have the University, which is broken down into Faculties. Faculty of Medicine (Department of Pediatrics, opthamology etc), Faculty of Science (department of Geology, biology) , Faculty of Arts (Department of History, English, Scandanavian Languages) etc

 

The University which I'm working at now has Faculty of Business, then Schools of Accounting, School of Finance... Faculty of Science then school of Chemistry, Biology etc.

 

another thing, when I say, "I'm going back to school" I mean university.

 

Or even if you are at university, people may say, "Do you go to school?" They mean university... where as for some people, school is only for children... primary, elementary, junior high school etc.

 

My school just has the undergrad program.

 

And then our business school which you have to apply for sometime between freshmen year and sophomore year and is extremely hard to get into.

 

But, I go to a very small private school.

[Alezia]

From the canadian perspective, college and university are infact different. The careers that are available to you differ as well. If you want to become a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, an engineer etc.. you have to go to University.

You can't take these programs in college. If you want to go more towards the trades like technician, plumber, carpenter, beauty school, you need to go to college.

 

I think they call University more prestigious because the salaries you get for those career streams are usually considered more prestigious and pay more. Although I know that a lot of trades (plumbing, electrician etc...) do pay very well nowadays, the majority of the college program don't unless you have your own business.

[laisla]

colleges can still lead you to make a lot of money. a friend of mine makes 120 000 a year on two IT jobs. he did not graduate highschool, dropped out of university and fast-tracked in college. he turned 28 recently.

you can also take 9 courses in HR (either in university or college), then once you pass the exams and have experience, you can be a certified HR professional and make a fair amount of money. so, college is beneficial depending on the career you want.

[Alezia]

Yah I know, which is why I said some trades at college do make a lot of money; but most like nail technician, arts, music, hair dresser, cook, low hr stuff etc.. don't really make a killing.

[poloplayer]

Do you go to a very large university?

 

Such as, my boyfriend goes to an extremely large university which is separated into several colleges/schools.

 

Schools of arts and science

 

College of law

 

College of accounting

 

etc....

 

Yes.

 

When I went to college, I originally entered the college of Liberal Arts & Sciences at a university as a history & philosophy major (but they had like 30-40 majors in that college alone). I changed my major to finance & economics after a year or so, and transfered to the College of Commerce at the university (had to do this because of my major). The colelge of commerce had finance, accounting, economics, marketing, info systems, etc., as possible majors. The uni had 10 or so colleges, and they had a law school, graduate schools, PhD programs, business school, etc.

 

I graduated with a few thousand people from my college, but my university had at least a week of graduation ceremonies for all of the different schools, so easily over 10,000 students graduated each year from all the different schools (Bachelors, Masters, PhD, JD).

 

My current university is similar, except this one has a medical school as well, whereas the uni where I did my B.Sc. did not have a medical or nursing school. Similar with many different schools: 5-10 colleges, law school, medical school, business school, graduate schools, and a school of continuing studies, which is degree seeking, non-degree seeking, and certificate based.

 

So you apply to a school at the university. Each school has admission requirements you have to meet, etc., and if you want to transfer then you need to meet those admission requirements upon a transfer as well. Your degree comes from the school that you graduated from.

 

So my B.Sc. is from a Uni. Those are the large words emblazed accross the paper. In smaller words underneath that, it lists the school, so in my case, the College of Commerce. It goes through some things and eventually lists that I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in primary major, Finance, and beneath that summa cum laude (tiny text for all that hard work...LOL). I'd guess this is similar format at most uni's.

 

If you didn't go to a uni, then I'd guess it wouldn't state the uni's name first, but would begin with the college in large text.

 

At a uni, you can advance to additional degree seeking programs and schools after college. A non-uni college does not offer you that. There are certain free-standing professional schools, such as law, medicine, business, etc., which are independent and not affiliated with a uni. There sole business is to train future X vocationers.

 

I wouldn't place much emphasis on school attended and title in the workforce. What you can do and have done is far more important. What is your experience. Many people come out of school with straight As but 0 work experience. Work is very different than school. Straight As tell me you have the smarts to learn this particular job that you're applying for, but people who are looking to hire are looking for many other things in an applicant. How are you with people, will you bring in business, will you increase my sales, how many sick people can you treat in a given hour, what is your specialty, heck, will you make your boss look great really.

 

If you're in school and learning, then that's awesome.

[glegend]

University = Theory studies

College = Practical/Hands on Studies

[lost1607307474]

I was actually wondering the same thing in this whole university/ college terminology thing because in Australia we only have universities. And TAFEs, which I am assuming are the equivalent of Colleges.

[ghost69]

A Universtiy, in the US, has a grad school. You can get your Masters and PhD. there. A college only give a Bachelors degree. I went to a college, and a very good one at that, but I went somewhere else to do my Masters. The college I went to DID have a separate grad school attached to it, but it was kind of a separate institution and it cost $1,400 per unit! As I said, the institution was very nice. I got a full ride at the school I earned my Bachelors from. It would have cost me $900 per unit to get my B.A., and this was several years ago. So, no, college can be just as, if not more, prestigious as University here.

 

most universities give BAs and PhDs and Masters.

 

most community colleges only give out AA degrees.

 

both are considered colleges in the US.

[amtjrtcet]

I went to a huge university...LSU, Geaux Tigers!! I graduated with a business degree, but I promise you, a business degree from a college is just as good.

[kathyd]

in uk

you do GCSEs at 16

then go to 6th form or College

then go to university

 

so to me uni. sounds better than college

 

but dont no about you just thought i would add this in for general knowledge

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