COLLEGE VS UNIVERSITY

While college is the catch-all phrase for higher education, there is a difference between a college and a university. Colleges are typically smaller schools that emphasize undergraduate education in a large range of academic areas. Universities are often larger institutions that offer both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and are usually committed to research. A university could have several colleges on their campus, i.e. arts and sciences and engineering. Colleges can have the sub-category of being a liberal arts school, which emphasize small class sizes and a curriculum centered on the humanities, arts, social sciences, and natural sciences. If your child is interested in these subjects, this is the ideal type of school for the. Another bonus of attending a liberal arts school, is there is strong emphasis on undergraduate education. The professors are also usually not conducting research, so they concentrate of teaching and are better at it than professors from many research universities. Some of the BEST liberal arts colleges in the northeast are:

• Williams

• Amherst

• Swarthmore

• Middlebury

• Haverford

• Barnard

• Smith

While Princeton University is a research school, it has a commitment to undergraduate education and the liberal arts.

The top HBCU liberal arts colleges are:

• Spelman

• North Carolina A&T State

• Fisk

• Delaware State

• Alcorn State

Liberal arts schools teach students subjects they're passionate about, and advise them regarding their careers; however, research universities are a little more pre-professional. Students might have to apply to a college (or school) of the university, such as engineering, architecture, nursing, or business. Undergraduates have several opportunities to do clinical, laboratory, or independent research.

The disadvantage of these institutions is that professors need to dedicate a certain amount of time doing research, and aren't always as attentive in their teaching methods, if they are even in the classrooms or lecture halls. Often, a teaching assistant (TA) leads the class. Some students have to teach themselves a bit and seek out study groups or tutors. The professors might also have limited office hours for students.

Top research universities in the northeast include:

• Harvard

• Yale

• Princeton

• Columbia

• MIT

• UPenn

The top HBCU research universities are:

• Howard

• Florida

• A&M

• Jackson State