College in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, usage of the word "college" remains the loosest, encompassing a range of institutions. However, in common usage, the term "college" usually does not refer to a post-secondary level of study, i.e. most people say "going to university."
 
Higher education

In higher education a college is usually part of a university; such colleges do not award degrees. Universities with constituent colleges are collegiate universities. A college may also be a grouping of faculties or departments, notably in the University of Edinburgh, the University of Salford, the University of Birmingham and the University of Leicester.

In the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and University of the Arts London (and formerly in the University of Wales), colleges provide accommodation, tuition and other facilities to students of the university: the university conducts examinations and grants degrees. However the colleges of the University of London are now de facto universities in their own right.

In the other collegiate universities, including the University of Lancaster, University of York, University of Kent, University of St Andrews and University of Durham, the colleges only provide accommodation and pastoral care.

A university college is an independent institution which prepares students to sit as external candidates at other universities or has the authority to run courses that lead to the degrees of those universities. It may also be an independent higher education institution with the power to award degrees, but does not have university status, although it is usually working towards it.

Historically, some universities originated as university colleges. For example, the University of Newcastle was originally a university college of the University of Durham.