What is the difference between college residence and student residence?

What is a college?

A college is a building or campus that serves as accommodation for students of a certain university, as it is attached to the university. In its origins, at the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Age, they had a residential and also an educational function: here the higher degrees (bachelor’s and doctorate) were taught to their schoolchildren, but over time it has remained only its use as accommodation.

What is a university residence?

A university residence is also a building or campus that serves as accommodation for higher education students, usually university degrees, but also postgraduate courses or even specialised professional training. In fact, they are autonomous, that is, they are not attached to any university.

1. Access form

The first of these is the form of access: in the case of higher schools, to reside in them it will be necessary to study at the university center to which they are linked and, in some cases, pass a series of tests, skills or requirements. Instead, residences are open to students from any center.

2. Different profiles

Another difference between the college and residence is in the student profile. Although freedom of conscience and expression prevail in both options, the residents of a college can show a certain cultural, ideological or religious bias, especially if it is a private university center with very clear guidelines. In contrast, university residences, such as Collegiate student residences, are more neutral in this regard.

5. Room amenities

You can also cite the difference between college and residence and the number of amenities available in the rooms. Although the services at the college are very centralised, especially the kitchen, dining room and even the bathrooms in the older cases, the rooms of the university residences act as authentic mini-floors, with a kitchen and bathroom if desired, as offered by our Collegiate university residences.

6. Internal regulations

The internal regulations of one and the other also differ greatly. Older schools tend to have more rigid regulations, with entry and exit times in many cases, as well as the obligation to participate in certain services or activities. Instead, said regulation is usually more lax in residences, with outsourced professional services. On the other hand, this does not prevent the organisation of activities, meetings, associations or other projects on the initiative of its residents.