Different Types of Colleges

In the United States and Canada the terms college and university can describe a variety of institutions. A college may form one major division of a university, offering programs in a specific academic field that lead to undergraduate or graduate degrees, or both. Colleges may also be independent of a university, offering four-year programs of general education that lead to a bachelor’s degree in the liberal arts and sciences. Some independent colleges offer a limited number of graduate programs, but usually their primary mission is to provide undergraduate education. Community colleges offer two-year programs of general education or vocational education.

Universities generally comprise various colleges and professional schools that make up the academic divisions of the institution. For example, a university may include a college of arts and sciences in addition to professional schools of education, law, medicine, and engineering. Universities provide higher education leading to a bachelor’s degree as well as professional and graduate programs leading to master’s and doctoral degrees. Colleges and universities in the United States and Canada may be public institutions supported by federal, state, provincial, or municipal governments, or they may be private (independent) institutions.

The most prominent types of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada include community colleges, state or provincial universities, liberal arts colleges, professional schools, military academies, and proprietary institutions. Other types include technical colleges, agricultural colleges, teachers' colleges, and colleges affiliated with religions.