Another Western New York College Receives ‘University’ Status

There are a bunch of great options for students in Western New York to continue their education.  Now another college has been accredited as a University.

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Over the past couple of years multiple colleges in Western New York have changed their names from '____ College' to '_____University.'  Buffalo State University was the most recent to get the more distinguished title.  Now, Canisius College will join them in a new branding effort as they become Canisius University.

What's the difference between a college and a university?

To a lot of people, there isn't a difference between a college and a university.  It's simply a name.  But US News & World Report makes the distinction that in general, colleges are normally smaller institutions that emphasize undergraduate education.  They are often liberal arts schools that offer a wide range of academic areas instead of more specialized focuses.

Universities, on the other hand, are often larger schools that focus more on research and on both undergraduate and graduate programs.

However, there are a lot of generalizations with those definitions.  For example, some colleges do still focus on providing research, and not all universities are huge.

Canisius College Is Becoming Canisius University

Canisius made the announcement this week that they have petitioned the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Board of Regents for university designation and have been granted the designation.  They will be changing their name starting this fall to show that they are now Canisius University.

“This achievement reflects the work of so many at Canisius to expand our academic programs and provide greater opportunities for students to access our transformative education. We’re pleased that our name will more closely reflect how we view ourselves — as a comprehensive university with a breadth of excellent academic programs. I am grateful to all of our dedicated faculty and staff whose hard work made this possible.” - Canisius President Steve K. Stoute.

They currently offer 36 master’s degrees and advanced certificates.

Click here to read more about Canisius becoming a University.