As prospective college students check out catalogs and confer with Mr. Alfred Cochrane, college counselor, one of the students' many questions deals with the difference between a college and a university. What exactly is the difference? Does one type of institution have any advantages over the other?

The answer to the first question is very simple. A college is merely one school of a specific study, while a university is many colleges under one roof, so to speak.

In a college a degree in only one subject may be offered. In a university each separate college may offer a degree. The University of Illinois offers degrees in many different colleges such as law, engineering, and teacher education.

For the student who has not yet decided what his major will be in college, a university may be the best choice. If he begins his freshman year in the college of law and decides he wants to major in social science, he may transfer into the college of liberal arts. At a regular college offering only one degree, this would not be as easy to do. In most cases it might involve changing from one college to another, possibly to a different state.

A university also has more to offer in the way of social life. Since it is composed of more than one college, it will have many more students than a regular college. This means a student has a chance to make many new acquaintances ‑ if he can find a way to meet everyone. At a small college the average student finds getting acquainted easier as time progresses, since there are not as many students.

Both colleges and universities have good points. Which you choose should depend on your needs.