Choosing A College

  • You have lots of factors to consider when deciding which type of college is the "right fit" for you:

  • Types of Colleges

    • Universities
      Institutions made up of several colleges each of which may have different admission and graduation requirements. Universities offer a broad range of majors and degrees and also have graduate and doctoral programs.

      Liberal Arts Colleges
      Offer bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in non-technical areas. Usually, these schools require more diverse programs of study for graduation.  Click here to learn more about the differences between liberal arts colleges and universities!

      State Colleges
      Offers associate degree programs and very limited bachelor degrees. Most programs are very broad in scope, offering career and non-credit courses as well as courses that are equivalent to the first two years of a four-year college. These are also commonly referred to as community colleges.

      Technical Colleges
      Schools offering a narrow program of studies usually focused on technical education. These programs can vary in length from 6 months to 2 years and they offer certifications instead of a degree. More information about technical colleges can be found here.

  • How many colleges you should apply to is up to you? But the recommended amount is about 5 (3 being the minimum and 7 being the maximum). Make sure that your list always includes a safety school (a school that you are guaranteed to be accepted into) and a target school (a school that your scores and credentials fall within the average range of the school).