▁the ▁under grad uate ▁level , ▁although ▁advanced ▁research ▁may ▁still ▁occur ▁at ▁these ▁institutions . ▁ ▁While ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁national ▁standard ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁term ▁" univers ity " ▁primarily ▁design ates ▁institutions ▁that ▁provide ▁under grad uate ▁and ▁gradu ate ▁education . ▁A ▁university ▁typically ▁has ▁as ▁its ▁core ▁and ▁its ▁largest ▁internal ▁division ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁college ▁teaching ▁a ▁liberal ▁arts ▁curr icul um , ▁also ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree . ▁What ▁often ▁distingu ishes ▁a ▁university ▁is ▁having , ▁in ▁addition , ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁gradu ate ▁schools ▁engaged ▁in ▁both ▁teaching ▁gradu ate ▁classes ▁and ▁in ▁research . ▁O ften ▁these ▁would ▁be ▁called ▁a ▁School ▁of ▁Law ▁or ▁School ▁of ▁Medicine , ▁( but ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁called ▁a ▁college ▁of ▁law , ▁or ▁a ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁law ). ▁An ▁exception ▁is ▁V inc ennes ▁University , ▁Indiana , ▁which ▁is ▁sty led ▁and ▁char tered ▁as ▁a ▁" univers ity " ▁even ▁though ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁academic ▁programs ▁lead ▁only ▁to ▁two - year ▁associate ▁degrees . ▁Some ▁institutions , ▁such ▁as ▁D art mouth ▁College ▁and ▁The ▁College ▁of ▁William ▁& ▁Mary , ▁have ▁retained ▁the ▁term ▁" col lege " ▁in ▁their ▁names ▁for ▁historical ▁reasons . ▁In ▁one ▁unique ▁case , ▁Boston ▁College ▁and ▁Boston ▁University , ▁the ▁former ▁located ▁in ▁Ch est nut ▁Hill , ▁Massachusetts ▁and ▁the ▁latter ▁located ▁in ▁Boston , ▁Massachusetts , ▁are ▁completely ▁separate