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School, college, or university
School is for children and teens; college and university are higher education, and a university also gives master's and doctoral degrees.
Quick rule
School: where kids study. College: your bachelor's studies. University: the large institution with graduate degrees.
The place where children and teenagers study. Also a place for one kind of training: law school, driving school.
Studies after high school, mostly a bachelor's degree. In the US it also means the school itself.
A large institution with many departments that gives bachelor's degrees and also master's and doctoral degrees.
How to choose
| Question | school | college | university |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it for studying after high school? | SometimesSometimes | Yes | Yes |
| Do children study there? | Yes | No | No |
| Can it give doctoral degrees? | No | SometimesSometimes | Yes |
Why it trips people up
All three name places to study, at different stages. School is for children and teens, college is higher education after high school, and university is a larger institution that also offers master's and doctoral degrees. In the US, people often say college for either of the last two.
How each one works
School
School as a stage of life
My little sister starts school in September.
Going to school
The kids walk to school together every morning.
A school for one profession
My cousin is in his second year of law school.
College
Studying for a bachelor's degree
She is saving money to go to college.
Being at that stage of study
Many students work part time while they are in college.
The place where you study
My brother's college has only fifteen hundred students.
University
Teaching at one
My aunt teaches biology at the University of Florida.
A large institution
The university has a hospital, a stadium, and two libraries.
Graduate studies
He is doing a PhD at a university in Spain.
What comes next
be at school, no the: you mean studying
My brother is at school until three.
go to college or be in college, no the
Her older sister is in college now.
the University of plus place
I applied to the University of Arizona.
go to university: British
In Ireland, most people go to university at eighteen.
Set phrases
School
- high school
- a school for students from about 14 to 18 years old
- law school
- a school where you study to become a lawyer
- after school
- in the hours when classes have ended
College
- go off to college
- to leave home to start your studies
- college degree
- the paper you get when you finish your studies
University
- state university
- a university paid for mostly by a state government
Almost the same
My daughter is in school.
She is a student at some level.
My daughter is in college.
She finished high school.
My daughter is a graduate student at the university.
She already has a bachelor's degree.
We visited the school on Friday.
With the, it is the building.
I visited three colleges before I chose one.
Comparing places for a bachelor's degree.
In a conversation
- A:
Where does your son study now?
- B:
He's still in school. He's in eleventh grade.
- A:
So next year he'll go to college, right?
- B:
Yes, we're looking at a few colleges in Texas. His sister goes to the University of Houston.
- A:
Does she like it there?
- B:
A lot. The university is huge, so she always meets new people.
Common mistakes
Wrong: My little sister goes to college. She is nine.
Right: My little sister goes to school. She is nine.
In English, college is for after high school. A nine-year-old goes to school.
Wrong: My daughter goes to the school every day.
Right: My daughter goes to school every day.
When you mean being a student, there is no the. With the it is the building: I went to the school to meet the teacher.
Memory trick
Think of stairs. School is the first flight (children), college is the second (the bachelor's degree), and university is the big building that also has master's and doctoral programs.
It depends
- UK use
- In the UK, university is the usual word for higher education, and a college may teach students aged 16 to 18.
- Colleges inside a university
- Some universities are divided into colleges, such as the College of Engineering.
FAQ
Is it college or university?
In the US, both are used for higher education. College is more common in speech: I go to college. A university has graduate programs too.
What is the difference between school and college?
School is for children and teenagers. College comes after high school and leads to a bachelor's degree.
Do you say go to school or go to the school?
Go to school means to be a student. Go to the school means to travel to that building.