Types of Colleges

This type of college is funded by local and state governments and usually offers lower tuition rates, especially for students who are residents of the state where a college is located.

• Public College/University
• Private College/University
• Liberal Arts College/University
• For-profit College/University

This type of college relies mainly on tuition, fees and private sources of funding. These private donations can sometimes provide generous financial aid packages.

• Public College/University
• Private College/University
• Liberal Arts College/University
• For-profit College/University

This type of college offers four-year programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree. These include universities and liberal arts colleges.

• 2-year College/University
• 4-year College/University
• Graduate School/University
• Law School/University

This type of college offers programs that last up to two years that lead to a certificate or an associate degree. These include community colleges, vocational-technical colleges and career colleges.

• 2-year College/University
• 4-year College/University
• Graduate School/University
• Law School/University

This type of college offers a broad base of courses in the liberal arts, which includes areas such as literature, history, languages, mathematics and life sciences. Most are private and offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree.

• Public College/University
• Private College/University
• Liberal Arts College/University
• For-profit College/University

This type of college is larger and offers more majors and degree options—bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees—than colleges. It sometimes contains several smaller colleges, such as colleges of liberal arts, engineering or health sciences.

• Universities
• Vocational Schools
• Community Colleges
• Art & Design Schools

This type of college offers two-year associate degrees that prepare you to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor’s degree. They also offer other associate degrees and certificates that focus on preparing you for a certain career. 

• Universities
• Vocational Schools
• Community Colleges
• Art & Design Schools

This type of school offers specialized training in a particular industry or career. Possible programs of study include the culinary arts, firefighting, dental hygiene and medical-records technology. These colleges usually offer certificates or associate
degrees. 

• Universities
• Vocational Schools
• Community Colleges
• Art & Design Schools

In addition to regular course work, these colleges provide training in areas such as photography, music, theater or fashion design. Most of these colleges offer associate or bachelor’s degrees in the fine arts or a specialized field.

• Universities
• Vocational Schools
• Community Colleges
• Art & Design Schools

This type of college is specficially for either men or women.

• Gender-Specific College/University
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Hispanic-Serving Institutions
• Religious-Affiliated Schools