<p>I was just curious because I thought I heard someone tell me this at one point.... is the difference between the title of a school being a college or a university the size of the library? If anyone knows, I'd appriciate it!</p>
<p>Colleges offer only undergraduate programs, or just have a very very small postgraduate program.</p>
<p>Universities offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs.</p>
<p>Two very good colleges are Reed College and Brown (College).</p>
<p>yea, generally, Colleges are undergrad only.</p>
<p>... and the College of William and Mary is a University. o_O</p>
<p>To be a University an school has to offer at least one terminal degree.</p>
<p>and a university also tends to have more than one 'school.' (i.e. school of arts and sciences, school of business, etc)</p>
<p>I think the names are a cultural thing as well.</p>
<p>In Canada we call all four-year liberal arts/science based institutions "universities" even if they don't offer a grad program or have a really small one (for ex. Mount Allison University in the maritimes). If you say you go to college here, it's assumed you go to a two year program, a community college, or tech school.</p>
<p>good point. Most people in the US use "college" as a term for a 4 year school after high school where they are getting another degree. As in, "I go to college" even if your specific school is a university, people do not say "I go to university." In other countries (like cowgirlatheart mentioned), this is not the case.</p>
<p>i've never fully understood the difference. My school is a college and we have graduate programs. But only a few. Which is probably why it's still a college.</p>
<p>william and mary is pretty old (2nd oldest i think). so they wont chnage the name to university of william and mary it wudnt make sense</p>
<p>tim, W&M doesn't change the name because its in the charter that it will always be known at The College of William and Mary. Funny enough W&M is the oldest university in the U.S. I believe, even though Harvard is the oldest college.</p>
<p>Boston College is an university. The University of Richmond and Washington and Lee University are both LACs.</p>
<p>The University of Richmond is actually a Liberal Arts University. They describe themselves as such on their website. As for Washington and Lee University, They have a law school which is separate from the college portion. Thus they are still a university by definition.</p>
<p>I agree with what you say. However, USNews puts them both in the LAC category.</p>
<p>Dartmouth College is a university by the Carnegie Classification system, but Colgate University is a college by the same system.</p>
<p>:p</p>
<p>Also another big point is that Universities tend to have many smaller "colleges" within them (such as College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineering, ect). Whereas Colleges tend to focus on certain subjects, such as LAs.</p>
<p>Wow...learn something new everyday!</p>
<p>yea, W&M is the oldest University and the second oldest College (behind some school that slips my mind...).</p>
<p>The offical name of W&M is "The College of William and Mary in Virginia" from the charter. W&M is one of the few schools to have a Royal Charter, and a coat of arms from the College of Arms.</p>
<p>isn't harvard the oldest?
i think it's just the names people call or used to call</p>
<p>Harvard College or Harvard University????? I'm Kunfuzed.</p>
<p>Harvard College is the undergrad school of Harvard University :D</p>