State University

Institution TypesPolicy & Regulation

A university established and primarily funded by a state or provincial government, usually serving the population of that region.

State universities often have many affiliated colleges and serve a broad regional student base. Compared with centrally funded universities they may face greater resource constraints, though many are highly regarded.

Related Terms
Central University
A university established and primarily funded by the national (central) government through an act of the national legislature.
Private University
A higher education institution established and funded primarily by private entities such as trusts, societies, foundations or corporations rather than by the government.
Affiliation
An arrangement in which a college operates under the academic authority of a parent university, which sets the curriculum, conducts examinations and awards degrees.
Deemed-to-be University
A status granted to a high-performing institution that confers university-like autonomy and the power to award its own degrees, even though it was not originally established as a full university.
ABET
A US-based accreditation body for engineering, computing, technology and applied-science programs, and a signatory of the Washington Accord.