Home Universities List Colleges List Edmonton Calgary Alberta Education News Forum Other
College Alberta


Alberta Education Information

Difference between College and University

A lot of people are asking, what are differences between a university and a college. Answer for this question is not really that strait forward as we originally thought. Comparison is different in every country. The words "college" and "university" have different meanings in different English speaking countries.

Here are some ideas from external sources:

"Universities focus on academic and professional programs. Colleges focus more on career training and trades." - (settlement.org)

"In Canada, colleges and universities are different institutions - usually, colleges have different kinds of programs than universities do." - (settlement.org)

"The difference between a college and a university is that a college just offers a collection of degrees in one specific area, while a university is a collection of colleges. When you go to a university you are going to be graduating from one of their colleges, such as the business college. As to which is better, it depends on what you want. Single colleges tend to be smaller while universities are bigger, but universities are better known. - (answers.com)

"Please be aware that there is a very distinct difference in terminology between the USA and the rest of the world. In the US, there is very little difference academically between a "college" and a "university." the terms are synonymous. Other countries use "college" to refer to some secondary schools, but "university" is always used to mean an institution of tertiary education and higher learning. Universities are usually larger and often contain multiple "colleges" within them. However, some of the top-ranked schools in the US have a name including "college". In other parts of the English speaking world, the term "university" equates to the US use of "college" and the term "college" refers more to a trade or vocational school. - (answers.com)

"In the United Kingdom (UK) a university can award its own degrees and has a charter giving it various guarantees of independence. A college usually depends on a fully-fledged university validating its degrees, or may even be part of a university, as in Oxford or Cambridge colleges. Or a college may be little to do with degree level education at all, such as a Further Education college." - (answers.com)

"In Canada, a University is an education institution that can grant degrees (BA, BSc, MA, PHd, etc). Colleges can grant certificates or diplomas, but not degrees." - (answers.com)

"Australia is similar to Canada. Universities offer degrees, but Colleges (also known as T.A.F.E.,) offer Diplomas and Certificates. " - (answers.com)

"The difference between a college and a university is that a college just offers a collection of degrees in one specific area, while a university is a collection of colleges. When you go to a university, you are going to be graduating from one of their colleges, such as the business college. As to which is better, it depends on what you want. Single colleges tend to be smaller while universities are bigger, but universities are better known." - (answers.com)

"The main difference between a college and a university is that the university maintains research requirements for its instructors and that the university is, in essence, a more research-focused institution.
A college can offer many majors with which to direct your studies. However, doctorate programs are more prone to be offered at universities where they have the money to support such programs.
This is probably related to the fact that Universities conduct research, which in turn allows them a certain degree of recognition, attracts a larger student body and affords them the capacity to offer higher learning options than a college can offer.
" - (answers.com)

"The difference between college and university depends upon which country you live in. In the United States, college is a general term that refers to any post secondary education at the undergraduate level; an institution where you can earn a Bachelor's degree. For example, saying that you are attending college after high school could mean that you are going to college or university. In addition, large universities can have different areas of study that are referred to as colleges such as the college of biology, or the college of engineering." - (wereyouwondering.com)

"In Canada, and many other parts of the world, colleges are vocational institutions where you can learn a trade or a two year Associate degree in Arts or Science. Many students will complete the first two years of their Bachelor's degree at a college and finish the last 2 years at a university. Colleges have some advantages over universities: they generally have smaller class sizes and the professors are more focused on student successes and less focused on research related endeavors. Colleges can be a good intermediate step between high school and university. In addition, for people who didn't graduate from high school or didn't earn the appropriate prerequisites to enter their degree program, colleges offer courses that are pre first year courses such as Math, Physics, and Chemistry for grades 11 and 12. The drawback of going to a college is that it can at times be less prestigious and have less course offerings than a university." - (wereyouwondering.com)

"In Canada the most important differences between a college and university education are the degree you will hold after graduating and the types of jobs for which your degree qualify. Positions offered by the government and large institutions such as banks and corporations often will require a university degree. Similarly, entrance into law, medical and science programs require university experience. However college diplomas and certifications can place you in the position to compete for niche jobs in specialized fields. College graduates often have the upper hand on university graduates when applying to positions that require applied training." - (ehow.com)
College Youtube Video