In the United Kingdom, usage of the word "college" remains the loosest, encompassing a range of institutions:

Secondary education

Some secondary schools, both state (e.g. Ivybridge Community College) and independent (e.g. Eton College or Hurstpierpoint College), use "college" as part of their name. Some secondary schools in Cambridgeshire are called village colleges and aim to be centres for the community as well as for their students. In addition, although many state and most independent schools have sixth forms, some students study for A Levels at separate sixth form colleges.

Further education

A further education college (FE college) is an institution between secondary school and university. It usually offers a wide range of vocational courses and adult education. Most students are aged from 16 into adulthood, but some 14-16 year olds are sent from their schools on a part-time basis for vocational study that the schools are not equipped to deliver. Many FE colleges offer A Levels, often in a sixth-form centre. Some colleges have higher education provision, normally accredited by a university in the region.

Higher education
Main article: Colleges within universities in the United Kingdom

In relation to universities, the term college normally refers to a part of the university which does not have degree-awarding powers in itself. Degrees are always awarded by universities whereas colleges are institutions or organizations which prepare students for the degree. Most universities do not have colleges; those that do are referred to as collegiate universities.

In the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of London and University of the Arts London (and formerly in the University of Wales), colleges prepare students for the degree of the university of which the college is a part (although the colleges of London are now de facto universities in their own right). In the other collegiate universities, including the University of Lancaster, University of York, University of Kent, University of St Andrews and University of Durham, the colleges only provide accommodation and pastoral care.

A college may also be an independent institution which prepares students to sit as external candidates at other universities or has the authority to run courses that lead to the degrees of those universities. A university college is now an independent higher education institution that has the power to award degrees, but does not have university status, although it is usually working towards it. The term used to refer to colleges set up by universities in other towns, all of which have now been chartered as universities in their own right (e.g. the University of Newcastle, which was originally a university college of the University of Durham).

"College" may also be a name given to large groupings of faculties or departments, notably in the University of Edinburgh, and after recent restructuring, the University of Birmingham and the University of Leicester.

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Note added at 9 hrs (2011-03-19 22:49:48 GMT)
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O contexto parece se referir a "further education college (FE college)", que seria mais ou menos equivalente ao ensino "pós-médio" no Brasil (educação
profissional e tecnológica).

O formulário se refere ao mais alto nível de ensino completado-School/College/University/Above... Desta forma, acredito que os níveis apresentados estariam relacionados a:

Curso Médio - School;
Superior(licenatura curta)/Tecnólogo - College;
Superior (licenciatura plena)-University;
Pos-Graduação/Doutorado - Above


- The difference between the words college and university depend very much upon where you live. In many cases, in the US, a college refers to a four year advanced education only, and an institution which does not have the accreditation to offer more than a bachelor’s degree. College may also be restricted by its modifiers. For example, a technical college may offer Associate of Arts degrees or certification in certain fields only. A junior college or community college also offers a variety of A.A. degrees and certification programs.

Traditionally, the term college applied to a part of a university. Large universities may be split into colleges or departments that offer different degrees. In a sense, the university unified different colleges. The University of California, Berkeley, for instance, has colleges of music, science, law, and liberal arts, to name a few. Deans or heads of the college oversee each college, but the ability to grant degrees is through the overhead university. Most large universities also offer advanced degrees like PhDs and Master’s degrees. A four-year college, not attached to a university may only offer bachelor’s degrees.
www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-college-a... university.htm

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University vs College
The difference between a college and a university is that generally a college offers set of degrees in one specific area whereas a university has a collection of colleges.
For instance when someone goes to a university he/she will graduate from one of their colleges such as Business College or Engineering College. Most of the time, universities are well known and they are larger than colleges.
The difference between both college and university varies between the USA and the rest of the world.

In USA, universities are larger and have many colleges within them.

UK- a university can provides degree, colleges usually depends on a fully-fledged university validating its degrees. Sometimes colleges do not even provide degree level education at all.



Mostly, community colleges are very different from universities they cannot offer a 4 year degree such as B.A or B.Sc. They can offer trade and technical certifications and training.



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