Is an American college the same as a British university?

@Pussy_Kat Said

We have Primary (up to 11), then Secondary school, then after 16 til around 18 we have sixth form college or just sixth form at school - then most have a gap year if they want then comes University.

@annski729 Said

I never understood the sixth form thing. Where is the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth forms?

And what are a-levels? Are there B-levels? C-levels?

@raditz Said

In the U.S. the difference between the two is a college has a limited number of degrees they offer. Off the top of my head, I want to say a college offers a maximum of 3 different fields, and a university would have more.

@annski729 Said

I still don't really understand the British school system

In the US, most people who go through higher education attend college/university for 4 years and get a bachelor's degree. Some may then attend graduate school for 2+ year.

Usually "college" or "university" means the first 4 years after high school (undergraduate level, bachelors degree). Most people who attend graduate school say they're attending "grad school," not really "I'm attending university" or "I'm in college"

I say I'm "in college", but I'm actually *at* a university. College actually refers to a subdivision of the university. I'm in the "College of Arts and Sciences" (vs. something like our business programs), but everyone at the school goes to "college" and is attending at a "university."

Does that help?

@annski729 Said

That's a good way of putting it.

I think the confusion arises when people say that they are "in college" - rarely do people say "I'm attending university"

@annski729 Said

I never understood the sixth form thing. Where is the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth forms?

And what are a-levels? Are there B-levels? C-levels?

@ninozara Said

I think '6th form' comes from when the first 5 years of secondary school were referred to as 'forms'. There was Upper and Lower sixth (because you would do two years of study and take all your exams at the end.)

@ninozara Said

Sounds like it is then. Certain Universities here have 'Colleges' (Oxford and Cambridge come to mind) but I think they are like separate campuses belonging to a University. Most Uni's have separate 'departments' for different subjects, which I suppose is like your 'college'

We also have 'Undergraduate' which tends to be the first 3 - 4 years, and the 'Postgraduate' which is later study, generally a 'Masters' degree or a PhD.

@raditz Said

It does look better on the diploma to have university as opposed to college even there is no real difference other than how many majors they have.

The college I went to was in the process of adding one more major which would have made them a university. We were all hoping they would get the university title before we graduated. lol