. ▁University ▁College ▁is ▁a ▁protected ▁title ▁that ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁used ▁with ▁permission , ▁although ▁note ▁that ▁University ▁College ▁London , ▁University ▁College , ▁Oxford ▁and ▁University ▁College , ▁Dur ham ▁are ▁colleg es ▁within ▁their ▁respective ▁univers ities ▁and ▁not ▁university ▁colleg es ▁( in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁U CL ▁holding ▁full ▁degree ▁award ing ▁powers ▁that ▁set ▁it ▁above ▁a ▁university ▁college ), ▁while ▁University ▁College ▁B irmingham ▁is ▁a ▁university ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁right ▁and ▁also ▁not ▁a ▁university ▁college . ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁there ▁are ▁over ▁ 7 0 2 1 ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities . ▁A ▁" col lege " ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁formally ▁denotes ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁university , ▁but ▁in ▁popular ▁usage , ▁the ▁word ▁" col lege " ▁is ▁the ▁generic ▁term ▁for ▁any ▁post - second ary ▁under grad uate ▁education . ▁Americans ▁" go ▁to ▁college " ▁after ▁high ▁school , ▁regardless ▁of ▁whether ▁the ▁specific ▁institution ▁is ▁formally ▁a ▁college ▁or ▁a ▁university . ▁Some ▁students ▁choose ▁to ▁dual - en roll , ▁by ▁taking ▁college ▁classes ▁while ▁still ▁in ▁high ▁school . ▁The ▁word ▁and ▁its ▁derivatives ▁are ▁the ▁standard ▁terms ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁institutions ▁and ▁experiences ▁associated ▁with ▁American ▁post - second ary ▁under grad uate ▁education . ▁ ▁Stud ents ▁must ▁pay ▁for ▁college ▁before ▁taking ▁classes . ▁Some ▁borrow ▁the ▁money ▁via ▁lo ans , ▁and ▁some ▁students ▁fund ▁their ▁educ ations ▁with ▁c ash ,