Your Choices

What Type of College?

If you are not familiar with the US college system, things can be quite confusing. Especially if you are trying to work out how much it will all cost. The link below will help you to find the right college for you via the Collegeboard website.

Collegeboard

While every college is unique, almost every college fits into a category.  Here are several types of colleges you should get to know as you narrow down the colleges and universities you’ll be applying for.

State Universities

 

Public Universities or State Universities are often (but not always) part of a state University system, which operate as individual schools in different parts of the state, but share an overall management and administration. For example, the State University System of New York (SUNY) is one of the largest and comprises more than 60 campuses across New York State.

State Universities usually charge lower tuition fees than private Universities although the amount students pay can vary drastically. You will usually find 2 bands of fees listed a residents (or locals) fee or an out of state fee. International students usually pay the same as the out of state fee, but sometimes there can be a seperate international fee.

 

Community Colleges

Also referred to as junior colleges, community colleges are also supported by state finance. The typically offe rthe chance to complete an “Associates Degree” (or foundation degree) which takes 2 years to complete. An associates degree can be beneficial in its own right or can be used as a stepping stone to complete a further 2 years to get a Bachelors Degree. Many international students study a “student transfer” qualification. Is is more of a general education qualification which, after 2 years,  gives you credits to complete your course at a 4 year school.

Community colleges tend to be smaller and their tuition fees are much lower.

Community Colleges compete in the NJCAA soccer leagues.

Private non-profit Universities

 Whilst most of the students in the US attend either state or community colleges, private Universities account for a significant proportion of enrolment.

Private Universities account for some of the most famouse US universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Caltech, Columbia, Cornell and Johns Hopkins.

Fees at Private Universities can be much higher than public Universities but they can also have the most generous sports scholarships available. Always check out any offers you get from Private Universities and make sure that it is suitable for you. For example some Religious based Universities only offer bible based degrees.

 

Liberal Arts Colleges

Liberal Arts colleges focus on teaching undergraduate-level courses in the liberal arts and sciences. Historically, liberal arts colleges have been known for their strong focus on teaching, individual student development, and the more academic (as opposed to vocational) side of higher education. The majority are run privately.

  • Humanities – includes art, literature, linguistics, philosophy, religion, ethics, modern foreign languages, music, theater, speech, classical languages (Latin/Greek) etc.
  • Social sciences – includes history, psychology, law, sociology, politics, gender studies, anthropology, economics, geography, business informatics, etc.
  • Natural sciences – includes astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, botany, archaeology, zoology, geology, Earth sciences, etc.
  • Formal sciences – includes mathematics, logic, statistics, etc.

For-Profit US Universities and Colleges

The past few decades have seen a growth in the number of for-profit private Universities and Colleges. Unlike other types of colleges, these schools have shareholders, are loosely regulated and are operated as business ventures.

In the past few years, a stream of negative publicity has been followed by a decline in enrolments at for-profit universities, but they continue to play a significant role in the US higher education sector.

Whilst there are many for profit schools that are run correctly and ensure students receive value for money, a great many are not. Do your research before committing to one of these schools.  

 

Special Focus Universities and Colleges

Some colleges focus on a specific interest or student population. These include:

  • Arts colleges
  • Single-sex colleges
  • Religiously affiliated colleges
  • Specialized-mission colleges

Arts colleges

Art colleges and conservatories focus on the arts. 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.

Single-sex colleges

All four-year public colleges, and most private colleges, are coed. But there are some private colleges that are specifically for men or for women.

Religiously affiliated colleges

Some private colleges are connected to a religious faith. The connection may be historic only, or it may affect day-to-day student life.

Specialized-mission colleges

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) focus on educating African American students. Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) are colleges where at least 25 percent of the full-time undergraduate students are Hispanic. HBCUs and HSIs may offer programs, services and activities targeted to the underrepresented students they serve.

 

credit to Bigfuture for this info.