A university is an institution of higher learning that embraces two or more colleges. In the United States, a representative university would have teaching and research facilities comprising a graduate school and a number of other colleges (or so-called schools) devoted to arts and sciences and to professional training for law, medicine, and other pursuits. Normally, a college awards degrees for undergraduate work only; a university is equipped to offer master's and doctoral degrees: "Harvard College is a part of Harvard University." "After she was graduated from Dartmouth College, she studied law at the University of Virginia." In proper idiom, one goes to college and to the university.
Dictionary of problem words and expressions. Harry Shaw. 1975.