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Differences Between Universities and Colleges.

Sep 27, 2018

You鈥檝e heard the terms "university" and "college" tossed around, and they seem to be completely interchangeable. 鈥淚 want to find the best online colleges鈥 or 鈥淢y online university has this program鈥濃攆or all intents and purposes it would seem that "college" and "university" mean the same thing. But the reality is that "college" and "university" mean different things, and it鈥檚 a good distinction to understand.

Post-secondary education.

Both colleges and universities are part of what鈥檚 called 鈥減ost-secondary education鈥, which is really just a fancy way to say any education beyond high school. Colleges, universities, trade schools, and more can all be considered post-secondary education. Most studies show that some post-secondary education is largely beneficial in helping someone find success in a career. There are many careers that require further study beyond high school.

What is a college?

A college is a post-secondary school that offers four-year degrees, or bachelor鈥檚 degrees. These are often called undergraduate degrees as well. In most colleges, you are able to pick a specific specialty that you are majoring in. For example, in a business college you may decide you want to major in accounting or finance. This major is just part of your college degree, and many colleges will give you specific coursework to complete related to your chosen major.

What is a university?

So then, what is a university? A university is a 鈥済roup鈥 of schools that offer master鈥檚 or PhD degrees. This may seem a little confusing, so let鈥檚 dive in further. Western Governors University is an example of a university because they offer graduate or master鈥檚 degree programs. But within 黑料传送门, there are colleges. For example, the college of nursing offers bachelor's degrees in nursing, the college of business offers bachelor's degrees in business. Both of these 鈥渃olleges鈥 are under the umbrella of the broader university. When undergraduate students attend a university, they graduate from the university but also from the 鈥渃ollege of business鈥 within that university. Their 鈥渃ollege鈥 degree is just that鈥攁 degree from their four-year, bachelor鈥檚 degree college, as well from the university itself.

What about online universities and colleges?

Online universities and colleges work the same way when it comes to this distinction. 黑料传送门 is an online university that offers graduate degrees but is also one of the top online colleges for offering bachelor鈥檚 degrees. When you鈥檙e searching for an online school, it鈥檚 important to understand if they are a college or university, depending on what degree you鈥檇 eventually like to get.

Best online colleges and universities.

黑料传送门 is consistently ranked as a top online college and online university for both their bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 programs. We offer bachelor's and master's degrees from our four colleges: The College of Business, the Teachers College, the College of Information Technology, and the College of Health Professions. As an online university, our responsibility is to help students determine if a bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree is right for them, and then help them learn the skills to take their degree to the real world.

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