college

Universal Words noun 1 [C,U] (often in names) (in Britain) a place where students go to study or to receive training after they have left school: a college of further education (= providing education and training for people over 16) * a technical / secretarial college * the Royal College of Art * a college course / library / student * She's at college. seealsoCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE(1), SIXTH-FORMCOLLEGE 2 [C,U] (often in names) (in the US) a university where students can study for a degree after they have left school: Carleton College * a college campus / student * a private college * He got interested in politics when he was in college. * She's away at college in California. seealsoCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE(2) 3 [C,U] one of the separate institutions that some British universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, are divided into: King's College, Cambridge * a tour of Oxford colleges * Most students live in college. 4 (in the US) one of the main divisions of some large universities: The history department is part of the College of Arts and Sciences. 5 [C+sing./pl.v.] the teachers and/or students of a college 6 [C] (especially in names, in Britain and some other countries) a secondary school, especially one where you must pay: Eton College 7 [C] (formal) (usually in names) an organized group of professional people with special interests, duties or powers: the Royal College of Physicians * the American College of Cardiology seealsoELECTORALCOLLEGE ______________________________ BRITISH/AMERICAN college / university In both BrE and AmE a college is a place where you can go to study after you leave secondary school. In Britain you can go to a college to study or to receive training in a particular skill. In the USA you can study for your first degree at a college. A university offers more advanced degrees in addition to first degrees. In AmE college is often used to mean a university, especially when talking about people who are studying for their first degree. The is not used when you are talking about someone studying there: My son has gone away to college. * 'Where did you go to college?' 'Ohio State University.' In BrE you can say: My daughter is at college * My daughter is at university. In AmE you cannot use university in this way. You use it with a or the to mean a particular university. My daughter is at college. * I didn't want to go to a large university. ______________________________