Postsecondary Education 
Colleges and Universities - There are over 600 public, and 1,600 private, four-year institutions. About 25 percent of colleges and universities are privately operated by religious groups, although most are open to students of all faiths. There are also many private institutions with no religious ties.
Almost all institutions, public or private, charge tuition and most students receive some form of financial aid from a variety of sources to help pay education costs. Tuition at public institutions is generally substantially lower than tuition in private institutions. Students from any state are free to apply for admission to, and attend, a university located in any other state (although tuition fees at public universities are generally higher for out-of-state residents).
Community (Junior) Colleges - The community college (junior college) system originated in the U.S. in the early 20th century and now include roughly 1,100 institutions. Community colleges were created to form a transitional link between high school and the university. They generally offer two-year degree programs (i.e. Associate's Degrees). Students completing these programs usually have the option of transferring to a university to complete the final two years of their four-year undergraduate degree. Many students enroll in the community colleges, not for a degree per se, but to acquire or update specific job skills. For this reason, community colleges, unlike most universities, offer practical vocational and technical programs. Community colleges generally attempt to be responsive to the community in which they operate, offering coursework that addresses the needs of citizens, as well as local and regional employers.
Governance and Finance - All private, and most public, institutions at the postsecondary level are chartered or licensed as corporations under U.S. law and are legally independent and self-governing in terms of academic affairs, administration, fund-raising and resource allocation, and public relations. Institutions are governed by boards of citizens, generally called trustees, who act in the name of the corporation and who in turn hire the chief administrative officer (president) and approve the hiring of other personnel including faculty. Faculty members do not control the institution, but are instead its employees. Whether public or private, institutions depend primarily on three sources of income: student tuition, government funding, and donations and endowments (gifts made by benefactors).
Accreditation - Universities and colleges operate with considerable autonomy. Because no central authority exercises control over higher education institutions, the practice of accreditation was established to provide non-governmental, peer evaluation of institutions and programs and to insure quality. Accrediting associations have no legal control over institutions or programs. Instead, they establish quality criteria and approve those institutions that meet the set standards. Institutions that have been accredited have an advantage over non-accredited institutions with regard to student recruitment, receipt of federal and state grants, and general public image. Numerous accrediting agencies exist, with a regional or national scope.
