Colleges in the United States include federal service academies, state universities, local community colleges, private nonprofit schools and short career programs. Our directory lists 10,662 of them, from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts to Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington. Who runs a school, and which state it sits in, decides the rules you face on tuition, aid, transfer and licensing. This page explains that structure so you can reach the right campus office on your first call.

Read this section first if you are new to the system. Then pick your state from the list on this page and narrow the results by city or county.

Who Runs Colleges Across the United States

No single agency operates colleges in the United States. Authority is split among several levels of government and private boards, and each level controls something different.

  • Federal government. The U.S. Department of Education administers federal student aid, including Pell Grants and federal student loans. It also recognizes the accrediting agencies that review schools. A handful of institutions are run directly by federal departments. The United States Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado, is one of them, and our database lists its Cadet Chapel at 2304 Cadet Drive.
  • State governments. States charter and fund their public universities and most community colleges, usually through a governing board or system office. Stockton University in Absecon, New Jersey, the University of South Carolina-Aiken and Grays Harbor College in Washington are public institutions of this kind. States also authorize and license many private and career schools.
  • Counties and local districts. In Texas and Illinois, many community colleges are local districts with elected boards and property-tax support. In other states, such as North Carolina, a college like Roanoke-Chowan Community College in Ahoskie belongs to a statewide community college system.
  • Private nonprofit boards. Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Ohio Northern University in Ada and Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan, are governed by their own boards of trustees. They set their own tuition and admission rules.
  • For-profit companies. Schools such as DeVry University and Rasmussen College are businesses. They still need state authorization and recognized accreditation before their students can use federal aid.

Accreditation ties these levels together. Regional and national accrediting agencies review schools, and the Department of Education recognizes those agencies. A school without recognized accreditation usually cannot offer federal aid, and its credits may not transfer. Confirm accreditation before you pay a deposit or sign an enrollment agreement.

Most states also have an agency that authorizes schools and takes complaints. Examples include the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Their websites usually explain how to check a school's approval status, file a complaint and request records from a closed school.

How Rules, Tuition and Fees Change From State to State

The same degree can cost very different amounts depending on where you live and where you enroll. Public colleges charge lower in-state rates to residents and higher rates to everyone else. Residency usually means living in the state for a set period, often twelve months, and proving it with a lease, a state driver's license or voter registration. Exceptions exist for military families and some other groups, but each state writes its own rules.

Several regional programs soften the out-of-state penalty. The Western Undergraduate Exchange, the Midwest Student Exchange, the New England Regional Student Program and the Southern Regional Education Board's Academic Common Market let students pay reduced rates at selected public schools in participating states. Eligibility depends on your home state and your chosen program, so check each program's list of schools.

State structure also changes your path. Colleges in California fall mainly into three public tiers: the University of California, the California State University and the California Community Colleges. In Texas, students can apply to public universities and many community colleges through the ApplyTexas application. Browse Colleges in Texas to see campuses by city and county. Pennsylvania adds another category, the state-related universities such as Penn State, which receive public funds but operate independently. You can compare local options under Colleges in Pennsylvania.

Fees go beyond tuition. Expect application fees, technology or student activity fees, lab charges and books. Community colleges generally cost less per credit than four-year schools, and many admit anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent. Some states add their own aid on top of federal programs. Tennessee Promise helps eligible graduates attend community or technical college, and California offers the Cal Grant. Each program has its own deadline, and state deadlines can fall months before classes begin.

Campus Types You Will See in Our Listings

Our listings mix several kinds of campuses, and the name alone does not always tell you which one you are dealing with.

Branch campuses and regional centers

Penn State Abington at 1600 Woodland Road is one of Penn State's campuses, not a separate college. The University of Central Florida runs a campus in Altamonte Springs in Seminole County, and Virginia Tech operates its Southwest Center in Abingdon, Virginia. Branch phone numbers often reach local staff who can answer questions about on-site programs. They may not be able to handle every admission or billing issue that the main campus controls.

Technical, community and career schools

Chattahoochee Technical College's North Metro Campus in Acworth, Georgia, and Alexandria Technical & Community College in Minnesota combine job-focused credentials with transfer options. Pontotoc Technology Center in Ada, Oklahoma, belongs to the state's career-technology system. Beauty programs such as Empire Beauty School in Avondale, Arizona, and Institute of Hair Design in Adamsville, Tennessee, prepare students for state cosmetology exams. Each state board sets its own required training hours.

Same city name, different state

Alexandria appears three times in our sample: Alexandria Technical & Community College in Douglas County, Minnesota, Alexandria School of Scientific Therapeutics in Madison County, Indiana, and Blue Cliff College-Alexandria in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Ada appears in both Ohio and Oklahoma. Always confirm the state before you plan a visit.

Some listings also reflect schools that have since closed. ITT Technical Institute shut down all of its campuses in 2016, and Argosy University closed in 2019. If a listing looks outdated, verify it with your state higher education agency before you rely on a phone number.

What to Bring and Which Mistakes to Avoid

Preparation depends on whether you are applying, enrolling or requesting records. Most campus offices ask for a similar core set of items.

  • A government-issued photo ID and, for aid applications, a Social Security number.
  • Your high school transcript or equivalency scores, plus transcripts from any earlier college.
  • Proof of state residency if you want in-state tuition.
  • Immunization records, which some states and schools require.
  • Test scores, if the school still asks for them. Many schools are test-optional.
  • Your FSA ID and tax information for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

When you call, ask for the office by name. Admissions handles applications, the financial aid office handles FAFSA questions, and the registrar handles transcripts and enrollment verification.

A few mistakes come up again and again. People call a branch campus when they need the main admissions office. They assume credits will transfer without asking for a written evaluation. They miss priority aid deadlines because they waited for an acceptance letter. And they enroll without checking accreditation or the state's complaint record. Ten minutes spent on these checks prevents most costly surprises.

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Picking the Right State Page for Your College Search

Choose the state where you plan to live and study, not the state where a school's mailing address happens to be. Public tuition, state aid and licensing rules follow the state, so the wrong page can point you to the wrong rules. Large states such as California, Texas, New York and Florida have hundreds of listings, so narrow by city or county after you pick the state. Smaller states are quicker to scan from top to bottom.

Some states are especially dense with certain school types. Colleges in Massachusetts includes many small private colleges, such as Hampshire College in Amherst. Colleges in Virginia covers large public campuses and regional centers like Virginia Tech's Southwest Center in Abingdon. Once you find a campus, copy its address and phone number, then confirm hours with the specific office you need. Hours for admissions, financial aid and the registrar often differ, and summer schedules can be shorter.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colleges in the United States

Start with accreditation. Check that the school is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The department's accreditation database and the College Scorecard are the usual places to look. Then confirm that your state's higher education agency or licensing body has authorized the school to operate. Warning signs include pressure to enroll on the first call, promises of guaranteed jobs, and vague answers about credit transfer. If a school cannot name its accreditor in writing, look elsewhere.

Each state sets its own rules, but most require you to live in the state for a continuous period, often twelve months, before the term begins. Colleges usually ask for documents such as a lease or deed, a state driver's license, a state tax return and voter registration. Students who depend financially on their parents are often judged by the parents' residency. Military families and some veterans may qualify sooner under federal and state rules. Ask the registrar or residency office for the exact form and deadline before you register.

Sometimes, but not always. In Texas and Illinois, many community colleges are local districts with elected trustees and property-tax support. Other states run their community colleges as one statewide system, as North Carolina does for Roanoke-Chowan Community College in Ahoskie. The difference affects your bill. In some states, residents of a college's taxing district pay a lower in-district rate, while students from outside the district pay more. Check the college's tuition page for its district definition, and ask admissions whether your address falls inside it.

A branch campus is part of a parent institution. Penn State Abington in Montgomery County and the University of Central Florida's Altamonte Springs campus in Seminole County sit under their parent universities and award the parent's degrees. A separate college has its own accreditation, governing board and records. The difference matters for transcripts, billing and financial aid, because those services may be run from the main campus. Before you visit, ask the local office which services are available on site, which are online, and which require a trip to the main campus.

Yes. Admission and aid are separate processes. Federal aid starts with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which you file online with an FSA ID, and each school you list receives your results. Many states and colleges use that same form, though some, especially private schools, ask for extra applications. Priority deadlines vary, and certain state grants run out of money. File as soon as the form opens, typically in the fall, rather than waiting for an acceptance letter. Afterward, check your school's portal for missing documents, because unfinished files delay awards.

Public records about schools lag behind real events. ITT Technical Institute closed all of its campuses in 2016, and Argosy University closed in 2019, yet addresses and phone numbers can linger in older datasets. If a school you attended has closed, contact your state's higher education agency, which can usually tell you who holds the student records. The Department of Education also publishes information on loan discharge for eligible borrowers of closed schools. Verify any listing with a call or a check of state approval before you travel.

The Air Force Academy is a federal institution near Colorado Springs, so admission follows service academy rules rather than state ones. Applicants generally need a nomination, most often from a member of Congress, along with strong academics, fitness testing and a medical exam. Cadets pay no tuition and receive pay, in exchange for a commitment to serve after graduation. Our database lists the Cadet Chapel at 2304 Cadet Drive in El Paso County, which is a visitor landmark rather than an admissions office. Use the Academy's official admissions office when you apply.