College or university degree — which is better?

Benefits of a College Degree

While universities may be the traditional choice to study for an undergraduate degree, colleges increasingly offer an attractive alternative for the same credential. Although universities may be known for their “hallowed hallways of learning”, colleges boast high employability rates. In this video, Connor shares the benefits of a college degree. 

Employable skills

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 College degrees offer hands-on skills training to complement your academic learning experience in the classroom. Unlike university degrees, college degrees provide practical, hands-on learning in spades. From multiple co-op work terms and capstone projects to research opportunities and live client interaction, you’ll be able to build your resume while still in college.

Graduate with less debt 

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A college degree pays off. Get the same quality of education in a college degree for less than other post-secondary institutions. For every $1 invested in an Ontario college education, grads receive a cumulative $3.20 more in future wages. That’s a 14.3% rate of return.  

More pathways to success

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If you haven't taken university-level classes in high school, don’t worry. While you can start a college degree program directly out of high school there are options to bridge from a college diploma into a college degree in just two or three years. When you’re all said and done, you’ll graduate with two credentials - a diploma and a bachelor's degree. After you graduate, you’ll also have the option to leverage your college degree as a pathway for pursuing a master’s degree, teacher’s college, and even a PhD.

Smaller class sizes

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College degrees are also known for their small class sizes compared to universities. With fewer students, your class will feel more like a community where peers will connect closely with one another and become more comfortable sharing their ideas. Plus, you’ll get the attention you need (and deserve) from your prof.

Hands-on experience

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When you’re studying in a college degree program, everything you learn is being applied to the workplace. College degrees focus on fieldwork, lab time and clinical training, so that means you’re already trained for the job and ready to work when you graduate.

Learn from Industry Experts

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College degree program faculty are industry experts, not just in the sense of being knowledgeable, but they’re also still working actively in the field they’re teaching about. They’re attuned to current practices and processes. This real-world experience gets passed directly to students.

Grads hit the ground running

At the end of the day, it's all about investing in your future. College degree options are increasing every year, as students are looking for more work opportunities to apply their learning throughout their degree. At Fanshawe College, we have several degrees to choose from a wide range of disciplines. Learn more about Fanshawe degrees here.

Featured Programs

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Honours Bachelor of Applied Technology - Biotechnology

Develop skills in experimental design, statistical data analysis, bioinformatics and handling microbial, plant, and animal material for genetic analysis.

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Honours Bachelor of Environmental Design and Planning

Participate in building sustainable, harmonious, democratic communities through environmental design and planning.
 

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