▁institutions . ▁ ▁Us age ▁of ▁the ▁terms ▁var ies ▁among ▁the ▁states . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁for ▁example , ▁Georgia ▁changed ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁four - year ▁institutions ▁previously ▁designated ▁as ▁colleg es ▁to ▁univers ities , ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁voc ational ▁technology ▁schools ▁to ▁technical ▁colleg es . ▁ ▁The ▁terms ▁" univers ity " ▁and ▁" col lege " ▁do ▁not ▁exhaust ▁all ▁possible ▁titles ▁for ▁an ▁American ▁institution ▁of ▁higher ▁education . ▁Other ▁options ▁include ▁" Pol y techn ic " ▁( W or c ester ▁Poly techn ic ▁Institute ), ▁ ▁" Inst itute ▁of ▁Technology " ▁( M ass achusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ), ▁" ac ade my " ▁( Un ited ▁States ▁Military ▁Academy ), ▁" union " ▁( Co oper ▁Union ), ▁" con serv atory " ▁( New ▁England ▁Conserv atory ), ▁and ▁" school " ▁( J u illi ard ▁School ). ▁In ▁col lo qu ial ▁use , ▁they ▁are ▁still ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" col lege " ▁when ▁referring ▁to ▁their ▁under grad uate ▁studies . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁college ▁is ▁also , ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁used ▁for ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁semi - aut onom ous ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁larger ▁university ▁but ▁generally ▁organized ▁on ▁academic ▁rather ▁than ▁resident ial ▁lines . ▁For ▁example , ▁at ▁many ▁institutions , ▁the ▁under grad uate ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁university ▁can ▁be ▁briefly ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁college ▁( such ▁as ▁The ▁College ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of