▁scholar ships , ▁or ▁gr ants , ▁or ▁some ▁combination ▁of ▁any ▁two ▁or ▁more ▁of ▁those ▁payment ▁methods . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁state ▁or ▁federal ▁government ▁subs id ized ▁$ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁each ▁under grad uate ▁degree . ▁For ▁state - owned ▁schools ▁( called ▁" public " ▁univers ities ), ▁the ▁subs id y ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁college , ▁with ▁the ▁student ▁benef iting ▁from ▁lower ▁tu ition . ▁The ▁state ▁subs id ized ▁on ▁average ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁public ▁university ▁tu ition . ▁ ▁Colleg es ▁vary ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁size , ▁degree , ▁and ▁length ▁of ▁stay . ▁Two - year ▁colleg es , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁junior ▁or ▁community ▁colleg es , ▁usually ▁offer ▁an ▁associate ' s ▁degree , ▁and ▁four - year ▁colleg es ▁usually ▁offer ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree . ▁O ften , ▁these ▁are ▁entirely ▁under grad uate ▁institutions , ▁although ▁some ▁have ▁gradu ate ▁school ▁programs . ▁ ▁Four - year ▁institutions ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁that ▁emphas ize ▁a ▁liberal ▁arts ▁curr icul um ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁liberal ▁arts ▁colleg es . ▁Until ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁liberal ▁arts , ▁law , ▁medicine , ▁the ology , ▁and ▁div inity ▁were ▁about ▁the ▁only ▁form ▁of ▁higher ▁education ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁These ▁schools ▁have ▁tradition ally ▁emphas ized ▁instruction ▁at