The Different Types of American Universities

Universities in the USA

 

If you are thinking of studying in the United States, you should be familiar with the different types of universities that exist in the US.

Do you know what is the difference between university and college? Have you heard about community colleges?

Most of the young guys around the globe dream to study in American universities like Harvard or Stanford, nevertheless, getting admitted to these kind of universities is really tough. It’s important to know that there are a lot of different opportunities in the United States besides studying in a very prestigious university. With that being said, we will show now the different kind of universities in the US.

 

University 

 

This is the type of academic institution that is the most similar to the rest of the world. It offers undergraduate, masters, doctorate and professional studies. A university can be either public or private. They are academic institutions of four years with a wide range of educational offers. It is formed by different faculties, each specialized in a certain area of knowledge and that grants its different academic degrees. In addition to different faculties, each university has research, development and other departments that build up the university community.

 

The first two years of the academic program the university’s courses are mainly core courses, so the student can discover what is his or her truly and desired passion. The last two years the student take specialized courses in the chosen area. Once the student finishes the degree, the student will get a Bachelor Degree from the university.

 

Many 4-year American universities are recognized worldwide by University’s Rankings. As a matter of fact, the QS Ranking of 2017-2018 include 5 American universities in the Top 10. Actually, the first 4 of the list are American:

 

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

 

2. Stanford University

 

3. Harvard University

 

4. California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech)

 

College

 

Colleges are higher academic institutions usually dedicated mainly to undergraduate studies, and therefore, they don’t usually offer postgraduate studies. Students graduated from a College get a Bachelor Degree, it may be a Bachelors of Arts (B.A) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S).

There is a special type of college called “Liberal Arts Colleges” that are colleges that offer liberal arts studies like English, Literature, Sociology, History… but don’t offer postgraduates studies. They are private institutions with a low number of students, usually less than 5.000.

 

The main difference between College and University is the size. Colleges are usually smaller and offer only undergraduate degrees. On the other hand, Universities have a higher average number of students enrolled, about 5,000 to 30,000 students, and they can be public or private. Colleges usually have less than 3,000 students and are private institutions. Also, the offer of postgraduate degrees is different, since not every college offer them.

In the US, casually talking, both terms mean the same and they are actually used in the same way.

 

Community College

Community Colleges, also known as Junior Colleges or Technical Colleges, are institutions that offer higher studies of 2 years. It’s equivalent to the first cycle of a university study, so it’s equivalent to study two years in a University. The student will receive an Associate Degree (A.S) once finished the community college. This degree allows the student to get admitted in a 4-year university and pursue a Bachelor Degree studying just two more years. This is why many community college students make a transfer to a university or college and get a B.A or B.S.

 

Community Colleges are getting more popular these days for international students, since they are cheaper plus many of them don’t meet the requirements to get in a 4-year university. This is why Mooxye is very helpful, Mooxye explains and guides every student to all the necessary steps to get to an American University, as well as all the requisites needed.

 

Scholarships to Study in American Universities

 

There are many scholarships opportunities for international students in the US, we recommend you register in Mooxye and create a profile. You will see then the opportunities you got to study and get a scholarship in the United States.

We help students and athletes worldwide to get an academic or athletic scholarship in the United States. We guide students in each step of the recruiting process, showing them how to achieve the scholarship on his or her own.

 

Las becas académicas son becas que ofrecen las universidades a los estudiantes con un buen perfil académico. Suelen ser parciales y la cuantía depende del expediente académico del joven; es decir, a mejores notas, mayor beca académica.

Por otra parte, las becas deportivas permiten compaginar estudios y deporte de alto nivel en la universidad. Los coaches americanos buscan deportistas de otros países para ofrecerles becas en sus universidades. Cuanto mejor es el nivel del deportista, mayor cuantía y mayores opciones de conseguir una beca.