Other Americanism... (we're so weird!)
What we call College, other Universities (internationally) tend to call Faculties or Schools. So within the University, there is a College of Medicine, College of Law, College of Social Science, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, College of Business, etc etc.

There's also just plain 'college' - which usually tend to be small, private, 4-year-degree liberal arts institutions. Usually only grant up to a Baccalaureate-level degree, Masters quite rare. PhD degrees at most colleges are relatively unheard of - you pretty much MUST go to Uni for that.

Let's not forget our dear friend 'junior college' a.k.a. 'community college' - funded by local taxpayers, provide the first 2 years worth of post-secondary education. Many students go here first after graduating high school - much cheaper than either college or uni.

Sorry I wrote so much - I've been working in the US university system for quite a long time and I've never really had a chance to get on a soapbox about it.
(ohnonotagain It's worse than you thought. I'm Canadian., Thu 15 Apr 2010, 6:13, 1 reply)

I was raised to think that "college" referred primarily to what you call "junior college"
As in, a place where people do their A-levels. But then there was also the community college, where you could enrol on/pay to take a course regardless of your entry qualifications. (So, for example, where I learned to touch type aged seven.)

And I call faculties departments. :-)

TBH, it wouldn't be an educational facility if they didn't thoroughly piss off other educational facilities in some way. This wholesale confusion seems to work. ;)
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Thu 15 Apr 2010, 10:30, closed)