Types of Institutions

Universities
Generally, universities are larger and offer more majors and degree options than the other types of colleges. In addition to liberal arts majors, they may offer engineering, architecture, health and other programs. At most universities, you can earn bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Most universities contain several smaller colleges; for example, colleges of agriculture, teaching, and liberal arts. You may have to apply to a specific college within the university and take most of your classes within that college. At a university, you can prepare for many types of careers or for further study in graduate school.

Liberal Arts Colleges
These colleges offer a broad base of courses in the liberal arts — literature, philosophy, history, languages, mathematics, humanities, and social and natural sciences. Most are private and focus on undergraduate students. They typically offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree; students usually take courses in a range of subjects during their first two years and then choose a major. These colleges prepare you for a variety of careers, as well as for graduate work in many fields, including professions such as law, medicine and business. 

Community Colleges
Community colleges are the most common type of two-year college. These colleges prepare you to continue your education or to enter the workforce immediately. They offer associate degrees that get you ready to transfer to a four-year college and earn a bachelor’s degree. Other types of associate degrees and certificates focus on career readiness.

Community colleges are often an affordable and convenient option; they charge relatively low tuition to in-state residents. Many students can also save money by living at home. Learn more about community colleges.
Special Interests
Certain colleges focus on a specific type of student population or area of interest.

Arts Colleges There are many colleges and conservatories that focus on the arts. In addition to regular course work, these colleges provide training in, for example, photography, music, theater or fashion design. Most of these colleges offer associate or bachelor’s degrees in fine arts or a specialized field.
Single-Sex All four-year public colleges, and most private colleges, are co-ed. Still, there are dozens of colleges that are specifically for men or for women.
Religiously Affiliated Colleges Some private colleges are affiliated with a religious faith. The affiliation may be historic only or it may affect day-to-day student life.

Public vs. PrivatePublic colleges are funded by local and state governments. That means they usually charge lower tuition, particularly for in-state residents, than private colleges do. Your state has several, and maybe even hundreds, of public colleges.

Private colleges may receive some government funds, but they mainly rely on tuition, fees, endowments and other private sources of funding. Many are affiliated with a religion.