how many colleges or universities are in the united states
4,627
title: Higher education in the United States text: function as an institution of knowledge, US higher education has had several functions, including preserving Christian civilization, advancing the national interest, research, and growing the global economy. It has also served as a source for professional credentials, as a vehicle for social mobility, and as a social sorter. Educational statistics in the US are provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the Department of Education. The number of Title IV-eligible, degree-granting institutions in the US peaked at a total of 4,726 in 2012: 3,026 4-year institutions and 1,700 2-year institutions; by 2016–17, the total had declined title: Education in the United States text: four-year institution to pursue a bachelor's degree. Community colleges are generally publicly funded (usually by local cities or counties) and offer career certifications and part-time programs. Four-year institutions may be public or private colleges or universities. Some counties and cities have established and funded four-year institutions. Some of these institutions, such as the City University of New York, are still operated by local governments. Others such as the University of Louisville and Wichita State University are now operated as state universities. Private institutions are privately funded and there is a wide variety in size, focus, and operation. Some private institutions title: Higher education in the United States text: Higher education in the United States Higher education in the United States is an optional final stage of formal learning following secondary education. Higher education, also referred to as post-secondary education, third stage, third level, or tertiary education occurs most commonly at one of the 4,360 Title IV degree-granting institutions, either colleges or universities in the country. These may be public universities, private universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. Higher education in the United States is loosely regulated by a number of third-party organizations that vary in quality. High visibility issues include rising tuition and increasing student title: Higher education in the United States text: for the United States service academies and staff colleges, the federal government does not directly regulate universities. However it can offer federal grants and any institution that receives federal funds must certify that it has adopted and implemented a drug prevention program that meets federal regulations. Each state supports at least one state university and several support many more. California, for example, has three public higher education systems: the 10-campus University of California, the 23-campus California State University, and the 112-campus California Community Colleges System. Public universities often have a large student body, with introductory classes numbering in the hundreds, title: Education in the United States text: grade (17–18 years old) as the final year of high school. There are also a large number and wide variety of publicly and privately administered institutions of higher education throughout the country. Post-secondary education, divided into college, as the first tertiary degree, and graduate school, is described in a separate section below. Higher education includes elite private colleges like Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT and Cal Tech, large state flagship universities, private liberal arts schools, historically-black colleges and universities, community colleges, and for-profit colleges like University of Phoenix. College enrollment has been declining since 2011 and student loan debt has