What is a colegio?

Question

Many years ago, I was taught in Spanish class that a colegio was a high school, and college was universidad. But when I used the dictionary to translate high school, it said escuela secundaria, and it translated colegio as college. Is it different in various Spanish speaking countries? Or am I just old and losing my mind'

Answer 1

In Argentina they use colegio for high school and facultad o universidad for college.

Answer 2

...but that doesn't preclude that you are old and losing your mind!

Answer 3

HI key, colegio is used in Spain in two completely different ways

colegio : school, for children

colegio mayor: hall of residence or dormitory

Answer 4

In Argentina they use colegio for high school and facultad o universidad for college.

I'm not familiar with using facultad for college, but in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador colegio means high school and universidad means college.

And I'm old and have long since lost my mind

Answer 5

So the meaning of colegio does vary from country to country! So what did I tell them in Mexico when I said Soy profesora de matemáticas en colegio (when I meant that I teach math in a high school)?

And yes, I am indeed old and losing my mind. But I am hoping that learning new things will stave off complete dementia for another year or two.

• Esté invierno voy a asistir la escuela de los adultos y muestro lo que he aprendido en spanish dict. - kenwilliams Sep 3, 2009

Answer 6

In Argentina, they use colegio just as they would use the word school. You would not say colegio for college, tho. That is universidad or la facultad.

Marcela