Sign In Get Started
Prepositions with nouns

Which prepositions go with “university”?

University combines with several prepositions depending on whether you mean study, movement, location, or institutional names.

Quick answer

Common combinations with “university”

Use at university for studying there, go to university for attending higher education, and in university mainly in North American English. University of appears in official names. For university refers to purpose or preparation.

She studied economics at university.
He hopes to go to university next year.
They are preparing for university.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
at university

Studying at a university

At university means enrolled as a student, especially in British English.

My sister is at university in London.
2
go to university

Attend higher education

Go to university refers to beginning university studies.

Many students go to university after secondary school.
3
in university

Enrolled in university

In university is used mainly in North American English.

She worked part-time while in university.
4
University of + place/name

Official institution names

Of is common in formal university names.

He graduated from the University of Melbourne.
5
for university

Preparation or suitability

For university refers to readiness, applications, or intended use.

The course prepares students for university.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
at university
He met his wife at university.
studying at a university
to university
She moved to university housing in September.
movement toward the university; also appears in go to university
in university
I learned French while in university.
enrolled as a student, mainly North American English
University of
The University of Oxford is very old.
part of an official institution name
for university
This programme helps students prepare for university.
purpose or preparation

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Confusing “at university” and “to university”

At university describes being a student; to university describes movement or attendance.

✓ She went to university at eighteen and is now at university in Leeds.

Using “of university” outside names

Of university is not normally used as a general phrase.

✕ students of university ✓ university students

Overusing “in university” in British English

British English usually prefers at university.

✓ He studied law at university.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. My brother is studying engineering ___ university.
2. She wants to go ___ university abroad.
3. The University ___ Toronto is in Canada.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is “at university” British English?

Yes. It is especially common in British English for being a university student.

Can I say “in university”?

Yes. It is natural in North American English, though British English usually prefers “at university.”

When do we use “University of”?

Use it in official institution names such as “University of California.”

"across border" or "of border"? as, in, of, to or for part? at, from, of, to or for home? at, of, after, on or for launch? At, of, in, from or with bay? at, of, in, to, from, airport at, of, to, above or by sea? at, of, to, for or in conference? at, of, without, for or on fault? "at rest" or "of rest"? "at risk" or "of risk"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account