There are more than 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States. When making the consideration of going to college, one can easily become overwhelmed by the amount of information and confused about the options available. One of the simplest questions most often asked at the beginning of the college search cycle is, "What are the different kinds of colleges?"
Is there some simple way of understanding the differences between the different types of colleges?
Sorting out the choices requires an understanding of the various college types. Initially, someone considering attending college may find it useful to know about where a particular college stands relative to the following characteristics:
Public or Private
Level of study offered
Religious affiliation
Admission selectivity
What is the difference between a public and a private institution?
Public institutions are controlled by a state or local government that funds a considerable portion of the school's budget. These institutions typically have a group of people appointed by an elected official or governmental agency who are charged with overseeing the everyday operations. This group, commonly referred to as the governing board, sets the school's policies that the university or college employees must follow.
Private institutions also have a governing board but the members of the board are not appointed by an elected official or a state agency. These institutions also receive the bulk of their financial resources from non-governmental sources.
Because a major portion of the expenses of running a public institution are borne by state or local governments, the cost of attending a public institution (especially in your own state of residence) is often considerably lower than the cost of attending a privately supported college or university.
What are the different levels of study?
In general, colleges and universities can be divided into the following categories:
Two-year colleges - These schools offer programs that are two years in length (longer if the student attends part-time) that lead to either a technical certificate or an Associate's Degree. These colleges may offer technical and commercial programs as well as programs that eventually can be applied toward the requirements of a higher degree.
Four-year colleges - Four-year colleges primarily offer programs that lead to a four-year bachelor's degree. A four-year college may also offer a limited number of programs above the bachelor's level but their primary program offerings are at the undergraduate level.
Universities - These institutions will often offer a significant number of graduate level degrees in addition to bachelor's programs. Some universities are considered research universities. These institutions typically offer a significant number of doctoral degrees as well as professional degrees, for example, law and medicine.
There are both public and private colleges at each level.
What about religious affiliation?
Some private colleges and universities have a religious affiliation. (No public colleges or universities have a religious affiliation.) About a third of all private colleges were founded by members of various religious sects. Many of America's first colleges were founded by religious groups. Institutions that still maintain that religious affiliation accept and enroll students of all faiths. Some of these institutions, however, still maintain relatively strict regulations regarding student behavior. If you are considering attending a college with a religious affiliation, you should research and discuss the college's rules, regulations and expectations with a member of the admissions staff.
What about admission selectivity?
Colleges vary significantly with regard to admissions standards. The College Board has classified colleges and universities using the scheme shown below.
Less selective
Less selective colleges focus on whether
applicants meet minimum requirements and the number of students they can
accommodate. Acceptable grades are often the only requirement beyond an
interest in college study. The SAT® I or ACT may be required, but
test scores are usually used for course placement, not admission.
More selective
More selective colleges consider course work,
grades, test scores, recommendations and essays. The major factor may be
whether you're ready for college-level study. You could be denied admission
because of a weakness or a lack of interest in higher education.
Very selective
At very selective schools, as many as 15 or
more students may apply for every available seat. Admissions officers look
carefully at each aspect of a student's high school experience, from
academic strength to test scores. Since many applicants are strong
academically, other factors -
such as your essay and counselor recommendations
- are
critical. Although they receive a great deal of publicity, only a small
number of colleges (fewer than 100) are this selective.
[1]
How can I get more information?
The Web addresses shown below provide search engines that will allow you to identify colleges and universities that meet the criteria you select. Using one of these will help you to narrow the field by providing you with a listing of the institutions that meet your criteria.
http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp
http://www.mycollegeoptions.org
[1] Source: The College Board