As of 2025, the United States has approximately 4,000 colleges and universities that are part of its higher education system, including public universities, private universities, community colleges, and for-profit institutions

. More broadly, there are nearly 6,000 postsecondary institutions in total, but about 4,000 of these are degree-granting institutions that offer associate degrees or higher

. To break it down by type:

• Around 1,700 are public universities funded by state governments.
• More than 1,600 are private universities, including nonprofit and for-profit colleges.
• About 1,050 are community colleges offering two-year degrees.
• Nearly 400 are for-profit institutions focused on career-oriented education

The number of degree-granting institutions has been gradually declining over recent years, with the 2019-2020 academic year reporting about 3,982 such institutions

. This decline is partly due to college closures and mergers, particularly in the for-profit sector. In summary, while the total number of colleges and universities in the U.S. is close to 6,000, the number of universities and colleges that grant degrees is roughly 4,000 as of 2025