Which is Best: Business College or University

What I’m about to say is my opinion. This is based on my experience of graduating from both a business college and a university.


I feel whatever career–non-professional or professional–you want to go into, will decide whether you go to a business college or a four-year university. Both places have their good and bad points. Below are the ones I found.

Good and bad points of a Business College

If you want to go into a non-professional career, a business college would be a good choice. Why?

Get out into a career sooner

You will be able to graduate and get into your career faster. The courses of study are anywhere from 9 to 24 months, and you can graduate with a diploma, certificate, or associate degree.

Instructors with actual work experience

The instructors are usually professionals who are or have worked in the industry. Therefore they have practical knowledge of the job. If you’re lucky, you will get some hands-on training.

Limited Campus Life

This depends on the college. The college I went to didn’t have any clubs or organizations to join, so there wasn’t a lot of student socializing. We usually went to class and went home.

Housing

I had heard that the college provided student housing, but I didn’t know where it was. I would assume it would be someone close.

Cost of everything

One downfall I noticed with a business college is the cost. For the business college I went to, classes were organized into 3-month blocks called quarter semesters.

After 8 quarter semesters (24 months), I graduated in 1990 and had two loans totaling $10,000. That amount would be a lot more in today’s money!

Good and bad points of a University

If you choose something specialized like medicine or law, I would say go to a university. Now if you go to a university, there are some things you should consider.

A longer time to get a degree

I thought a four-year degree would take four years. It turns out I was wrong. On the first day of my Freshman Orientation class, the instructor told the class it would take five years to get a four-year degree. Sure enough, it took me five years to get a four-year degree.

More in-depth study of the subject

A difference between business college and university I noticed was university professors tend to teach a more theoretical, in-depth view of the topic.

I’m just saying that I noticed that university classes seemed a little more concerned about the who, what, when, where, and why of a subject. Then, later on, they teach the how.

Campus Life

Other than classes, there’s a lot to do on a university campus. There are clubs, sororities/fraternities, and teams to join. There are special events and concerts to attend. There’s a student center that will be a place to shop, eat, and hang out with friends.

My university’s Student Center was in the center of campus. On the bottom level was a food court, which had food stations for pasta, burgers, and sandwiches. There was even a salad bar and a small coffee shop.

On the ground level was the lounge area, where everybody would hang out. It was a huge open area with numerous comfy chairs and couches, study tables, and a walkway that connected one end of the building to the other. On both sides of this massive area were computer rooms where students could access the internet.

On the top floor were the Executive Dining Rooms. Students with meal plans or some spare cash would eat up there. I ate up there about once a month!

Campus Housing or Commuting to campus

Another thing to bear in mind is whether you want to stay on campus or commute. Most universities have some type of housing on campus. They are called dormitories; dorms for short.

My university had them grouped by gender: all-male, all-female, and co-ed. 

My time in the dorms was fun, and it allowed me to live on my own. 

I decided to commute my last semester. Driving there wasn’t bad, the parking situation was a different deal. 

For some reason, the student parking lots were on the outer fringes of the campus. So I’d arrive early to get a decent parking spot and then have to walk about a quarter of a mile to get to class.

Costs of everything

One thing you should consider is the cost. Since you’re in school longer, you will pay more. Also, it depends on the university you attend. The university I went to is a regional state university, so the costs were lower.

Most people would think class and book costs are the only things to pay for, but no. There’s more!

There are activity fees for certain classes and programs; like intramural sports. Clubs and organizations–such as the Greek organizations–have dues members pay regularly. You’ll have to pay for most campus events.

The Takeaway

If you want more education after high school, there are options. A business college, a university; or even a community college.

Take a minute to think about what you want to do career-wise. Then think about the amount of study time your career will take, the cost of everything, and what activities are available. 

Weigh these carefully and decide whether a business college or university will be best for you.

Just saying!

If you have any comments you’d like to share, please put them down in the comment section below. Your comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading.