THE TRUTH ABOUT “UNIVERSITY” AND “COLLEGE” IN THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

When it comes to studying in the US, most people often do not distinguish between “university” and “college”. And they think that “university” is only universities, while “college” is only equivalent to the college education system in Vietnam. So how is the actual US education different between “university” and “college”, let’s find out through this article.

Because the education system in the US is different from that in Vietnam, it cannot be assumed that the quality of teaching and the quality of students entering College are worse than those of University. A typical example is that Dartmouth College is always in the top rankings of schools in the US or Boston College is ranked 35th nationally, higher than Boston University (42nd) according to the prestigious ranking of The US News.

In addition, schools are also ranked by major, quality of graduate/doctoral programs, online programs, etc. Therefore, when choosing a school in the US, it is impossible to assume that University is better than College. Instead of thinking about whether you will go to University or College, you should refer to the school's rankings in many different aspects.

Distinguishing between University and College when Studying Abroad in the US

So what's the difference? Most of the college all focus on higher education. Typically they will only have undergraduate programs that award Bachelor's degrees, without Master's and Doctoral programs. Meanwhile, the university are usually large universities, offering all levels of Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees, and consisting of many “colleges” and “schools”, each focusing on a particular field.

For example, all undergraduate students at Harvard University actually attend Harvard College, but MBA students attend Harvard Business School, Law students attend Harvard Law School, etc.

However, if asked, everyone can say that they went to Harvard University. And if someone asks you “Where'd you go to college?” you can simply answer “I went to Harvard” and they will understand that you have a Bachelor's degree from Harvard College, Harvard University.

However, there is one case of “college” that we can temporarily understand as equivalent to college in Vietnam: Community College (CC) – “Community College.”

Most students will study at CCs and earn an Associate's degree in 2 years, then transfer the credits earned to a university and study the remaining 2 years there to earn a Bachelor's degree.

This 2+2 route is quite popular and is one of the good choices for students who did not have outstanding achievements in high school and need to improve further, or students who do not have abundant financial conditions. Many good students can transfer to major universities after completing 2 years at CC.

So, it is important not to decide based on the phrase “University” or “College” but also depends on the major you want to study and the environment and quality of education of that school.

Essay Writing Course for Hunting Scholarships to Study Abroad in the US

With the international student community receiving scholarships to prestigious universities in the US, UK, Australia, Canada..., ETEST English for Study Abroad Always ready to help you build a scholarship hunting roadmap and achieve your study abroad dream!

See also: How much IELTS do you need to study in the US? score? Is IELTS 6.0 enough?

Course AMP(Admission Mentoring Program) – writing scholarship essays is a program designed based on the strengths and personality of each student to design a smart path for each individual, building a scholarship profile from prestigious universities in the US and around the world.

ETEST – ENGLISH FOR STUDY ABROAD

• 3rd Floor, 215 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 7, District 3
• 6th Floor, 79-81-83 Hoang Van Thai, Sai Gon Bank Building, Tan Phu Ward, District 7
• Hotline: 028 3930 5266
• Website: Etest.edu.vn