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The most confusing aspect of the conflict between the British and American terminology arises from the colloquial use of the word "college" by Americans. Where a British person (or indeed, most people around the world) would say "attend university," the American instead says, "go to college" — even if he or she is referring to a something formally called a university; the student at the enormous University of Michigan still calls it his "college." Thus to the American the word "college" refers not only to an institution but to a phase in one's life; anywhere else in the world that phase is called "university."
However, this phase itself varies somewhat around the world, which can lead to confusion even when the terminology is understood. Two outstanding features of the American version are universality and breadth: (1) quite a high proportion of Americans attend "college," so the word is more natural, less remarkable, than "university" might sound abroad. At the less-academic end of the scale, American universities award a great many degrees for professional training which might be accomplished on-the-job elsewhere. (2) At the more-academic end of the scale, on the other hand, many American college students (especially at the most elite institutions) see "college" as a time of intellectual exploration, free from any need to prepare for the future. (That's what graduate school is for.) The American system, by permitting students to spend the majority of their time in classes entirely removed from their major field of study, forces much less specialization and focus than is common in the rest of the world. Hence "college" is less dryly academic than "university" might sound abroad.
For both of these reasons, "college" as a phase-in-life has become very important culturally in America, perhaps more so than in the rest of the world (to whom American college students can seem very naïve and young, for these and a variety of other reasons).
Influenced by their origins in the British Empire, and by modern American pop culture, the rest of the English-speaking world seems to have adopted a mix of their practices.
In Australia, the term "college" can refer to an institution of tertiary education that is smaller than a university, run independently or as part of a university. Following a reform in the 1980s many of the formerly independent colleges now belong to a larger university. Many private high schools that provide secondary education are called "colleges" in Australia. The term can also be used to refer to residence halls, as in the United Kingdom, but compared to the UK their tutorial programs are relatively small-scale and they do no actual teaching towards academic degrees (with the exception of one or two that host theological colleges).
Additionally, in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory "college" refers to the final two years of high school (years eleven and twelve), and/or the institutions which provide this. In this context, "college" is a system independent of the other years of high school. (Here, the expression is a shorter version of matriculation college.) All college courses in the ACT are sanctioned by the Board of Senior Secondary Studies , or BSSS.
In Canada, the term "college" usually refers to a technical, applied arts or applied science school - a post-secondary diploma-granting institution that is not a university, but exceptions to this exist. In Quebec, it can refer in particular to CEGEP (Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel, "college of general and professional education"), a form of post-secondary education specific to the Quebec education system. See also the Royal Military College of Canada.
In the Republic of Ireland the term "college" is usually limited to an institution of tertiary education, but the term is quite generic within this field; university students often say they attend "college" rather than "university", with the term college been more popular in wider society. This is possibly due to the fact that until 1989 no university provided teaching or research, instead been offered by an associated college, as in the case of the National University of Ireland and University of Dublin - or at least in legal terms. A limited number of secondary education institutions use the word college to describe or name themselves.
The state's only ancient university, the University of Dublin, is really English in its origins, and until recently its outlook. Set up during the reign of Elizabeth I, it is modeled on the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. However, only one constituent college was ever founded, hence the curious position of Trinity College, Dublin today. For a time degrees in Dublin Institute of Technology were also conferred by the university; however that institution now has its own degree awarding powers and is considering applying for full university status.
Among more modern foundations, the National University of Ireland institutions, until 1997, consisted only of constituent colleges (called: university colleges) and recognised colleges, all of the individual institutions were eligible to offer academic degrees. The former are now constituent universities, institutions been essentially universities in their own right. The National University of Ireland constituent colleges date from the 19th century, been former Queen's University of Ireland and Royal University of Ireland associated institutions, see also Queen's University, Belfast.
The state's two new universities Dublin City University and University of Limerick were initially National Institute for Higher Education institutions. These institutions offered university level academic degrees and research from the start of their existence and were awarded university status in 1989 in recognition of this. These two universities are now followed the general trend of universities having associated colleges offering their degrees.
Technical education in the state was carried out in Regional Technical College network since 1970, these institutions were also tertiary level institutions, now referred to as Institutes of Technology. Initially these institutions offered only National Certificate and National Diploma courses, now they offer academic degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in addition.
Other types of college include Colleges of Education, these are specialist institutions, often linked to a university, which provide academic degrees, both undergraduate and postgraduate, for people who want to train as a teacher.
See also: List of universities in the Republic of Ireland
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