There are many different types of college and universities in the United States. Too often, we discuss higher education through the prism of selective and research institutions. Yet, we know that these types of institutions aren’t the norm, but instead are a very small percentage of all colleges and universities. In today’s post, I want to share the different criteria that can be used to identify differences between institutions. Understanding the different types of colleges and universities is important for graduate students and really anyone involved in higher education.

The range of institutions present in the U.S. system of higher education is considered a major strength.

As I’ve discussed here as well as my monograph on the subject, institutional diversity is profoundly important for higher education to meet the multiple and, at times, conflicting goals placed on the system.

But how do we tell institutions apart?  What criteria and characteristics are most useful to consider?