What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

College vs Varsity - What's the difference?

college | varsity |

As nouns the difference between college and varsity

is that college is a corporate group; a group of colleagues while varsity is university.

college

English

(wikipedia college)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) A corporate group; a group of colleagues.
  • (in some proper nouns) A group sharing common purposes or goals.
    • College''' of Cardinals'', '''''College of Surgeons
  • (politics) An electoral college.
  • An academic institution.
  • An institution of higher education.
  • (US) An institution of higher education teaching undergraduates.
  • (attributively, chiefly, US) Attendance at an institution of higher education.
    • These should be his college years, but he joined the Army.
  • (Canada) A postsecondary institution that does not award bachelor's degrees, instead offering vocational training and/or associate's degrees.
  • (chiefly, UK) A non-specialized, semi-autonomous division of a university, with its own faculty, departments, library, etc.
    • Pembroke College''', Cambridge''; ''Balliol '''College''', Oxford''; ''University '''College , London
  • (US, New Zealand) A specialized division of a university.
    • College of Engineering
  • (UK, in the names of private schools) A secondary school.
    • Eton College
  • (UK) An institution of further education at an intermediate level (in the UK, typically teaching those aged 16 to 19); sixth form.
  • (New Zealand) A high school or secondary school.
  • (UK) An institution for adult education at a basic or intermediate level (teaching those of any age).
  • (Australia) A residential hall associated with a university, which may be independent or have its own tutors but is not involved in teaching.

    • Synonyms

    * (institution of higher education) university * (specialized division of a university) department, faculty, school

    Derived terms

    * community college * electoral college * junior college * old college try

    Related terms

    * collegiate * collegium

    See also

    * university ----

    varsity

    English

    Noun

  • university

    • Derived terms

    *junior varsity *varsity letter

    Usage notes

    *Used attributively in the UK to describe a sports team representing a university or college, or a match involving such a team. *Used attributively in the U.S. and Canada to describe a sports team made up of older high school or college students (generally the 3rd and 4th years of a 4-year program), as contrasted with the junior varsity team made up of 1st- and 2nd-year students.