<p>It is interesting how Dartmouth is an ivy league school and yet is a "college" and not a University. lol it just strikes me as odd.</p>
<p>Not really</p>
<p>olleger: Well if you want to get technical, by standard American usage we are a “University” since we have grad schools. However, the title college is retained for both historical reasons (such as the famous case in US law involving Dartmouth College) and as a continuing voice to our mission, namely, to put out focus on undergraduate education (which according to the "USNWR 2009 best undergraduate teaching rankings, we’re number one) </p>
<p>A large number of students actually hold our college title quite dear, and any mention of “Dartmouth University” will get some laughs/ exasperated looks.</p>
<p>I don’t see how that is so shocking…but oh well! Haha</p>
<p>Dartmouth is functionally a university since it offers PhD degrees, has an engineering program, a medical school, and a business school. But it sticks with the name “College” for at least two reasons. </p>
<p>One is to emphasize that it is an LAC-like university with its contiued devotion to undergrad education. </p>
<p>The other stems from its history: in the early 19th century the state of New Hampshire tried to seize control of the school and make it a state school. But Dartmouth resisted. As part of its efforts New Hampshire incorporated a phony shadow school called “Dartmouth University” to run the school after the takeover. The case was fought all the way to U.S. Supreme Court with Dartmouth alum Daniel Webster arguing the College’s cause and winning the case. The phony Dartmouth University died on the vine. But of course this left a bad taste and made it pretty much impossible for any future Dartmouth leaders to consider changing the College’s name. It will be Dartmouth College forever.</p>
<p>“It is, Sir, as I have said, a small college, and yet, there are those who love it.”</p>
<p>Ahhh I failed to anticipate the history side of the name. Thanks for enlightening me everyone!</p>
<p>I would argue that Dartmouth really isn’t a university. It is a large liberal arts college with associated professional schools (and a few graduate departments). A true university would have graduate departments across the board.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is unusual in this regard.</p>
<p>That is why Dartmouth suffers in rankings such as USN&WR. It is ranked against classic universities such as Harvard, Yale, and the U of C, which is ridiculous. D does not pretend to be a university offering PhDs in the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and the like. D really ought to be ranked with LACs, in which case it would easily be #1.</p>
<p>Or maybe we ought to forget about rankings and such altogether. :)</p>
<p>^ I agree with every single aspect of that post 
haha.</p>