University vs. College
2024-01-20
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1Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Le about the difference between the words "university" and "college."
2Hello Teacher,
3I love this program.
4Would you mind explaining the difference between "university" and "college?"
5I often misunderstand these two nouns.
6Thanks,
7Le
8We are glad you love our programs, Le, and thank you for writing to us.
9This is an important question, especially for international students who might want to apply to U.S. colleges and universities.
10Both places provide higher education.
11But their degree offerings, number of students and costs differ.
12Let's start with "university."
13"Universities" are large schools offering higher education that includes undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
14Most faculty at universities are not only teachers but also researchers.
15Large universities have tens of thousands of students and have students from all over the U.S. and the world.
16Since universities offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees, they may offer many classes in many fields.
17But the cost of attending a university can be high, especially at private universities in the U.S. which are not supported by state governments.
18An example of a public university is West Virginia University.
19An example of a private university is Yale University in the state of Connecticut.
20Let's move on to "college."
21"College" can also mean a school where students receive higher education.
22Many high school students are asked:
23The answer to this question could be a university, a community college or even a trade school.
24We also refer to students in higher education as "college students."
25When Liz was a college student, she took classes during the day and worked in a hotel at night.
26"College" is often used as a general word for a school offering education after high school.
27But "college" can have more specific meanings too.
28Colleges are smaller schools that focus on undergraduate programs.
29They include community colleges, private and liberal arts colleges and even technical colleges and trade schools.
30Faculty at community colleges mainly teach and advise students, rather than do research.
31A college can also be a division within a university.
32For example, a university might have a "college of arts and sciences," which gives bachelor's degrees.
33Colleges are smaller and have fewer students: hundreds to thousands of students rather than tens of thousands of students.
34Because colleges, especially community colleges, serve a smaller population, they have fewer international students.
35Classes are also likely to be limited at colleges, especially at some community colleges.
36They might offer general education classes, career or technical degrees.
37Community colleges might offer some four-year undergraduate degrees, but many offer two-year programs.
38The aim might be for students to transfer to a four-year school.
39Career or technical certificates permit students to immediately enter the workforce upon completing the classes.
40She went to a community college to study cooking to get a job working in a restaurant.
41The cost of attending a community college is lower.
42The schools offer a low-cost way to gain college credits.
43However, private colleges and some technical schools may be just as costly as private universities.
44Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Le.
45Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
46And that's Ask a Teacher.
47I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Le about the difference between the words "university" and "college." 2Question: 3Hello Teacher, 4I love this program. 5Would you mind explaining the difference between "university" and "college?" 6I often misunderstand these two nouns. 7Thanks, 8Le 9Answer: 10We are glad you love our programs, Le, and thank you for writing to us. 11This is an important question, especially for international students who might want to apply to U.S. colleges and universities. 12Both places provide higher education. But their degree offerings, number of students and costs differ. 13Let's start with "university." 14University 15"Universities" are large schools offering higher education that includes undergraduate and graduate degree programs. 16Most faculty at universities are not only teachers but also researchers. 17Large universities have tens of thousands of students and have students from all over the U.S. and the world. 18Since universities offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees, they may offer many classes in many fields. But the cost of attending a university can be high, especially at private universities in the U.S. which are not supported by state governments. 19An example of a public university is West Virginia University. 20An example of a private university is Yale University in the state of Connecticut. 21Let's move on to "college." 22College 23"College" can also mean a school where students receive higher education. Many high school students are asked: 24Where do you want to go to college? 25The answer to this question could be a university, a community college or even a trade school. 26We also refer to students in higher education as "college students." 27When Liz was a college student, she took classes during the day and worked in a hotel at night. 28"College" is often used as a general word for a school offering education after high school. But "college" can have more specific meanings too. 29Colleges are smaller schools that focus on undergraduate programs. They include community colleges, private and liberal arts colleges and even technical colleges and trade schools. 30Faculty at community colleges mainly teach and advise students, rather than do research. 31A college can also be a division within a university. For example, a university might have a "college of arts and sciences," which gives bachelor's degrees. 32Colleges are smaller and have fewer students: hundreds to thousands of students rather than tens of thousands of students. 33Because colleges, especially community colleges, serve a smaller population, they have fewer international students. 34Classes are also likely to be limited at colleges, especially at some community colleges. They might offer general education classes, career or technical degrees. Community colleges might offer some four-year undergraduate degrees, but many offer two-year programs. The aim might be for students to transfer to a four-year school. Career or technical certificates permit students to immediately enter the workforce upon completing the classes. 35She went to a community college to study cooking to get a job working in a restaurant. 36The cost of attending a community college is lower. The schools offer a low-cost way to gain college credits. However, private colleges and some technical schools may be just as costly as private universities. 37Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Le. 38Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 39And that's Ask a Teacher. 40I'm Faith Pirlo. 41Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 42_____________________________________________ 43Words in This Story 44degree -n. a document that shows a person has complete a series of classes at a college or university 45undergraduate -adj. related to a degree for four years of schooling after high school 46graduate -adj. related to studies after a person has received a four-year degree 47faculty -n. the group of teachers at a school 48trade -n. a job that requires special skills and training which is done by using your hands 49career -n. the path of a job or jobs, that are usually related, which a person takes over a long period of time 50certificate -n. a document showing that a person is has completed training or classes