Official University of Lynchburg announcement: https://t.co/ZcHQyzhIUd

— Lynchburg College (@lynchburg) February 24, 2017

Colleges and universities are typically generalized together under the larger title of higher education in America, but there’s actually a reason say, the University of Kentucky isn’t called Kentucky College. 

The difference is rather simple, actually. Although the two words are practically synonymous in America (not abroad, though), universities offer undergraduate and graduate programs and have several degree options, while colleges are typically more limited and do not offer master’s programs.

While “university” tends to have a better connotation than “college,” there are schools that don’t follow these guidelines, like Dartmouth College, which offers several undergraduate and graduate programs. Dartmouth, while it has the option to call itself a university, doesn’t have to change its name, and therefore chose to stick with tradition.

Read the full report in USA Today College here.