# What is the difference between "University of \_\_\_\_" and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ State University? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407 "2003-03-01T17:12:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/1 "2003-03-01T17:12:57Z")
Most U.S. states have two major public university systems. For instance there is the University of California system and the Calfornia State system. What is the difference, if any? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/2 "2003-03-01T17:43:11Z")
It’s a multi-tiered educational system. Generally speaking, the “University of _XXX_ at wherever” would be in the top tier, with somewhat higher admissions standards, while “State” is the second tier. Of course, all of the academics will want to be employed in the top tier, so one might postulate that the research and instruction might be of a slightly better qualiity in the top tier. In reality, I think the net difference has little effect on most peoples’ lives. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/3 "2003-03-01T17:56:10Z")
There’s no consistency in the use of these names. In Ohio, it’s the opposite of the way that Ringo suggests. Ohio State is larger and has more graduate and professional programs than Ohio University. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/4 "2003-03-01T18:07:55Z")
I had always been told that “State” was the ag. school and “University of …” was the “regular” school. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/5 "2003-03-01T18:08:30Z")
Yeah, I actually thought of Ohio State when I wrote that; hence “generally speaking.” Nevertheless, the multi-tier system is supposed to have a top tier that is more academically rigorous and diverse, while the second tier exists to ensure a steady supply of trained worker bees. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/6 "2003-03-01T18:27:47Z")
There’s no single distinction. For example, the University of Pennsylvania is a private institution, whereas the Pennsylvania State University is a public one. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/7 "2003-03-01T18:32:28Z")
Quite simply, what they decided to name them. There is absolutely no consistency, no standard rule. That said, there is one guideline that seems to be true in several cases: The “University of Franklin” is the growth of an early state liberal arts school, while “Franklin State University” derives from a land-grant college based on the Morrill Act. U. of Michigan and MSU, and UNC and NCSU follow this format, and I believe it’s the case in several other states. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/8 "2003-03-01T18:48:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dignan \* > \*\*I had always been told that “State” was the ag. school and “University of …” was the “regular” school. \*\* In some cases, the “State” school used to be called “Agricultural and Mechanical School” (Oklahoma State U. and New Mexico State U., for instance). That suggests they were founded under the Morrill Act, which provided federal funding for each state to establish a college for practical arts. States that already had a “University of” usually started a separate campus. It may be that, for the former A&M schools, they had eventually expanded their curricula to the extent that the old names no longer fit well, and they got tired of being the butt of Aggie jokes too. If the “U. of” name was already taken, that left “State U.” as the best alternative. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/9 "2003-03-01T19:02:56Z")
The University of California system has fewer campuses, higher admission standards and a greater emphasis on research and postgraduate education than the California State University system. Nevertheless, CSU does more than train worker bees. Some students feel they can get a better education there as professors are more likely to be involved in actual instruction of students. I’ve taken UC courses where we hardly ever saw the big-name professor and a student ran the class. In my CSU experience, the person whose name was in the catalogue taught the class. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/10 "2003-03-01T21:12:33Z")
So where does “The University of the State of New York” fit in? ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/11 "2003-03-01T22:04:37Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **AcidKid** _ > So where does “The University of the State of New York” fit in? Others will correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that New York’s public university system was created rather late. Until then they relied on private universities. One consequence is that the state provides more direct aid to private universities than is usual. The state system is usually referred to as SUNY, the State University of New York, and doesn’t really have a second tier. I guess they figured they could load up on all the names. The name also helps to distinguish it from CUNY, the City University of New York. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/12 "2003-03-01T22:13:57Z")
The “University of the State of New York” is the body consisting of the Regents who head the state’s Department of Education and who make the requirements for high school diplomas, certificates for teaching in the public school system, etc., along with the staff that supports their work. It’s not a degree-granting, course-giving institution in the sense that, say, the University of Michigan or Ohio State University is, or even a confederation of schools under a single aegis like the University of North Carolina System and the University of California System are. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/13 "2003-03-01T22:16:42Z")
Added: Distinguish the above from the “State University of New York” which is a confederation like the two examples I gave, including campuses at Stony Brook, Buffalo, Albany, and Binghamton (and somewhere else I cannot remember), and colleges of varying descriptions at Oswego, Potsdam, Plattsburgh, Geneseo, etc., as well as the A&T schools at Canton, Morrisville, etc., and, indirectly, the community colleges of the counties of the state. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/14 "2003-03-01T22:26:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\* It’s not a degree-granting, course-giving institution … \*\* Thanks for the information but they do grant degrees. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/15 "2003-03-01T22:27:56Z")
And don’t forget, the land-grant institution of New York State is actually Cornell Univeristy. Colleges here are distinguished by either being “endowed” (private) or “statutory” (state-funded). ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/16 "2003-03-01T22:29:41Z")
There’s a SUNY Cobleskill, but I don’t know if it’s a college or an actual campus like as to the one in Albany. In the case of Mississippi, University Of (Ole Miss) is the one everybody knows and is more prestigious, and State U (Miss State, where I attended one and one-half semesters before getting sick of being The Yankee) is the ag. college. And used to be a military school. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/17 "2003-03-01T22:56:09Z")
I’ve never heard of the University of the State of New York. Which is strange since, given my location, I should have heard about them. A quick trip to Google led me to their website [http://www.nysed.gov/](http://www.nysed.gov/), where you will find that UsNY is actually the State Education Department. > [@](#): > > [http://usny.nysed.gov/aboutusny.html](http://usny.nysed.gov/aboutusny.html) > **Who We Are** > > The University of the State of New York (USNY) is the most complete, interconnected system of educational services in the United States. USNY includes: > [ul] > [li]More than 7,000 public and private elementary and secondary schools; [/li][li]248 public and private colleges and universities; [/li][li]251 proprietary (for-profit) schools; [/li][li]Nearly 7,000 libraries; [/li][li]750 museums; [/li][li]The State Archives; [/li][li]Vocational rehabilitation and other services for adults with disabilities; [/li][li]Special education services for pre-school and school-age children and teenagers; [/li][li]A special School for the Blind; [/li][li]A special School for the Deaf; [/li][li]25 public broadcasting facilities, including seven public television stations; [/li][li]More than half a million professionals practicing in 38 licensed professions, including pharmacy, architecture, accounting, and nursing; and [/li][li]200,000 certified public school teachers, counselors, and administrators. [/li][/ul] > > **Who We Are Not** > > The University of the State of New York (USNY) is not the same as The State University of New York (SUNY). SUNY is the State’s system of public colleges and universities. While the SUNY system is part of the 248 colleges and universities included in The University of the State of New York, SUNY is a separate and distinct organization with its own administration. Every public and private university, college, high school, elementary school, and special education school in the state is under its purview. It is a degree-granting institution only in the sense that it authorizes other educational institutions in the state to do so. There is no actual campus that you can drive out to and see a big sign that says “The University of the State of New York” with buildings and dorms and teachers and students. You will never receive a diploma that has “The University of the State of New York” written on it in Gothic script. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/18 "2003-03-01T23:05:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Terminus Est \* > \*\*You will never receive a diploma that has “The University of the State of New York” written on it in Gothic script. \*\* Again, yes you will. And I’m sorry, I can’t cite my wall. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/19 "2003-03-01T23:09:15Z")
I type corrected. Would you mind telling us which school you went to? ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407/20 "2003-03-01T23:26:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Terminus Est \* > \*\*Would you mind telling us which school you went to? \*\* Didn’t attend _a_ school. Took GREs, CLEP, DANTES, and had credits from other schools. Once I had enough credits and waited until class graduation (May) I was given the degree. It was a program offered through the military for people who could not met resident status (last 45 credits thing) that all other universites have. Some described it as a paper mill but I scored 98% on the Education GRE and was given \*\*-\*\*3 points for duplicating course work. I was offered a sociology and psycology degree but I liked the sound of “Liberal Studies,” not Liberal Arts but Liberal Studies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-university-of-____-and-_______-state-university/158407.md?page=2)