college x university

[ymnisky]

Are there differences on the meaning of these two words
college and university ?
Or they may be used interchangeably?

P.S.: Feel free to correct any possible mistakes of mine on this post.

[sarat_106]

Originally Posted by ymnisky

Are there differences on the meaning of these two words
college and university ?
Or they may be used interchangeably?

P.S.: Feel free to correct any possible mistakes of mine on this post.

No they are not interchangeable.
A college an institution of higher learning which provides teaching up to undergraduate level in general or liberal arts education rather than technical or professional training and is usually affiliated to a university for conducting examination and conferring degree.
In contrast, a University is an institution of learning of the highest level, having a college of liberal arts and a program of post-graduate studies together with several professional schools, as of theology, law, medicine, and engineering, and authorized to confer both undergraduate and post graduate degrees.

[Raymott]

Originally Posted by ymnisky

Are there differences on the meaning of these two words
college and university ?
Or they may be used interchangeably?

P.S.: Feel free to correct any possible mistakes of mine on this post.

The terms are used differently in different countries (regardless of the official definitions that sarat has given). A "college" in Australia, until recently, was a High School.
Generally, there is little problem with the meaning of 'university'. But anyone can set up a 'college' of something or other in their spare bedroom.

[ymnisky]

Thanks a lot for your important answers Raymott and sarat_106.

Well sarat_106, taking Raymott post into account, your answer refer to which English variant?

I would like to hear (I mean read) also from other English variants beside AuE.

Particularly I think in the US, college means university, at least colloquialy.
I think that there maybe it goes like sarat_106 said, a university composed of some colleges, but in everyday English when someone says:
"I met someone in the university sometime ago."
= "I met someone in college sometime ago."
"I studied that subject yesterday at the university."
= "I studied that subject yesterday at college."
"When did you finish college?" = "When did you undergraduate?"
Is that so?

P.S.: Please feel free to correct any mistakes on my posts (particulary regarding prepositions)

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by ymnisky

Thanks a lot for your important answers Raymott and sarat_106.

Well sarat_106, taking Raymott post into account, your answer refer to which English variant?

I would like to hear (I mean read) also from other English variants beside AuE.

Particularly I think in the US, college means university, at least colloquialy.
I think that there maybe it goes like sarat_106 said, a university composed of some colleges, but in everyday English when someone says:
"I met someone in the university sometime ago."
= "I met someone in college sometime ago."
"I studied that subject yesterday at the university."
= "I studied that subject yesterday at college."
"When did you finish college?" = "When did you undergraduate?"
Is that so?

P.S.: Please feel free to correct any mistakes on my posts (particulary regarding prepositions)

The answer given by sarat_106 applies to the system in the UK as well as India.

[ymnisky]

Originally Posted by ymnisky

Well sarat_106, taking Raymott post into account, your answer refer to which English variant?

I am awfully sorry about that. At first I hadn't realized that English is the second official language on India. I think I have heard India is the country where most people speak English as a second language.

Thanks again for your answer sarat_106, and please forgive my ignorance.

[sarat_106]

Originally Posted by ymnisky

I am awfully sorry about that. At first I hadn't realized that English is the second official language on India. I think I have heard India is the country where most people speak English as a second language.

Thanks again for your answer sarat_106, and please forgive my ignorance.

Thank you ymnisky for your compliments. You are correctly informed about the importance of English language in India. Since the British ruled the country for more than 200 years, they had made English the official language. Not only that, the educational as well as legal system of the country follow the British patterns. Since there are 22 regional languages spoken in different parts of the country, each different from the other, the English language serves as the common link

[ymnisky]

I have been observing, throughout various texts and dialogs, that in American English there is almost a consensus that college stands for university. Or at least a college, in AmE, stands for a part of a university.

However, I've read recently in an American book:
"[...] hosting town hall meetings. My staff will call up the local high school, library or community college to see if they're willing to host the event." (The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama)

I recognized college above possibly did not stand for university, so I found something interesting here: Community college - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia