A collegiate university refers simply to a university that has more than one college within its ownership. Examples include Oxford University, Cambridge University, Durham University and The University of London. The colleges of Oxford and Cambridge (or Oxbridge, as they are often known together) are financially independent from the university as a whole, but degrees are nonetheless awarded from the university overall rather than the college attended.

Colleges within a university may focus on one academic area, but often they are cross-disciplinary. Typically, a student of a college within a university will first and foremost identify him or herself as a student of that college, then as a student of the university.

Often, but not always, colleges within universities will have their own specific Students unions.

school types