what is the difference between a college and a university?

A four-year college or university offers a bachelor's degree. Programs that offer these degrees are called "undergraduate" schools. A "university" is a group of schools for studies after secondary school. At least one of these schools is a college where students receive a bachelor's degree.

u·ni·ver·si·ty

/ˌyo͞onəˈvərsədē/

noun

noun: university; plural noun: universities

an educational institution designed for instruction, examination, or both, of students in many branches of advanced learning, conferring degrees in various faculties, and often embodying colleges and similar institutions.

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college noun, often attributive

col·​lege | \ˈkä-lij

\

Definition of college

1 : a body of clergy living together and supported by a foundation

2 : a building used for an educational or religious purpose

3a : a self-governing constituent body of a university offering living quarters and sometimes instruction but not granting degrees Balliol and Magdalen Colleges at Oxford

— called also residential college

b : a preparatory or high school

c : an independent institution of higher learning offering a course of general studies leading to a bachelor's degree a liberal arts college also : a university division offering this

d : a part of a university offering a specialized group of courses the university's college of pharmacy

e : an institution offering instruction usually in a professional, vocational, or technical field business college an embalming college

4 : company, group specifically : an organized body of persons engaged in a common pursuit or having common interests or duties a college of cardinals serving as papal councillors and electors

5a : a group of persons considered by law to be a unit

b : a body of electors — compare electoral college

6 : the faculty, students, or administration of a college The college was at the football game in force.

A school in the US can only call itself a "university" if it offers graduate degrees. Schools that only offer 4 year undergrad degrees are called "colleges". A university is usually made up of several colleges- arts and sciences, engineering, business, education, etc.

In what country?

In the U.S., both colleges and universities grant bachelor's degrees. "College" typically refers to a small, liberal arts school, whereas universities are usually larger institutions, which contain several undergraduate schools (often individually referred to as colleges, such as the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering) and professional/graduate schools (medicine, law, etc.).

In the UK, however, "college" is something you attend after high school and before university (if applicable). You can either learn a trade or study for the university entrance exams ("A-Levels").

Schools with university in their name tend to be larger institutions that offer a variety of Masters & PhD. programs. On occasion, however, there is a blurry line between a college and a university. This can happen when a college offers graduate programs in a few areas.

Nomenclature (i.e. not much).

In some places there is an actual difference but in the USA the word "college" and "university" are pretty much interchangeable. In Canada a "college" used to be a post secondary prep school for university or a place where you can get a two-year diploma, and a "university" is a place where you can get a 4 year bachelor's degree or graduate degrees. But because anyone can call themselves a college someone decided that there needed to be an official name change. So they upped the names colleges to be "universities" and universities were renamed "research universities" but most people ignore that because that is even more complicated (and silly as far as I'm concerned).