California and Indiana Are in Pennsylvania (and Other Surprising Facts about Colleges)

American University: This school has a broad-based curriculum and is not only for political science/international affairs majors. (Washington, DC)

Anna Maria College: Although some think of Anna Maria as a women's school, it is coed. (Paxton, MA)

Berklee College of Music: No relation to the U of California, Berkeley, this Berklee is a music school in Boston. (Boston, MA)

Brandeis University: This is a nonsectarian college appropriate for students of all religions (although the school has a Jewish heritage). (Waltham, MA)

California Lutheran University: The student body is only about 40% Lutheran. (Thousand Oaks, CA)

California University of Pennsylvania: Yes, there is a college with this name in Pennsylvania. (California, PA)

Carnegie Mellon University: Not just a school for scientists, Carnegie Mellon offers a broad curriculum in the arts. (Pittsburgh, PA)

Case Western Reserve University: This is a comprehensive university and is not associated with the military. (Cleveland, OH)

Colgate University: This New York school was not founded by toothpaste barons. (Hamilton, NY)

College of William and Mary: This is a public, selective, nonsectarian school in Williamsburg. (Williamsburg, VA)

Colorado School of Mines: More than a mining or geological school, this college offers a broad-based science/engineering curriculum. (Golden, CO)

Cornell College: Not to be confused with the Ivy League institution in upper New York state, this Cornell is a small school in Iowa that operates on the distinctive one-course-at-a-time academic calendar. (Mount Vernon, IA)

George Washington University: The university has a broad-based curriculum and is not only for political science/international affairs majors. (Washington, DC)

Georgia Institute of Technology: This is a public university, not a private school as some believe. (Atlanta, GA)

Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Despite its name, this college is in Pennsylvania. (Indiana, PA)

Madonna University: The college has no relation to the rock legend. (Livonia, MI)

Miami University -- Oxford: This school, located not far from Cincinnati, is often confused with the U of Miami in Florida. (Oxford, OH)

Mississippi University for Women: Despite the name, it is a coed institution. (Columbus, MS)

Oklahoma City University: This is a private, Methodist college and not the public, nonreligious school that some mistake it for. (Oklahoma City, OK)

Pacific Lutheran University: Although "Lutheran" is in the name, the majority of students are not Lutheran. (Tacoma, WA)

Pepperdine University: Pepperdine may be in Malibu and close to beach life, but it takes its religious origins seriously. (Malibu, CA)

Ringling College of Art and Design: This broad-based art school is not just for circus performers. (Sarasota, FL)

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey -- New Brunswick: Although the name may be misleading, this is actually the state university of New Jersey. (Piscataway, NJ)

Southern Methodist University: The university may be affiliated with the Methodists, but it is not a religion-driven school. (Dallas, TX)

St. John's College: This school, known for teaching the Great Books, is not religious. (Annapolis, MD)

St. John's College: This school, known for teaching the Great Books, is not religious. (Santa Fe, NM)

St. Mary's College of Maryland: This is a public, non-church-related college. (St. Mary's City, MD)

Temple University: Often mistaken for private, this is a public university in Philadelphia. (Philadelphia, PA)

Texas Christian University: While it has a Disciples of Christ origin, TCU welcomes students of all faiths and--according to its website--"of none." (Fort Worth, TX)

Texas Woman's University: This is a coed institution. (Denton, TX)

Transylvania University: The name may recall Dracula, but the word "transylvania" comes from the Latin and means "across the woods." The school was founded in a region scouted by Daniel Boone. (Lexington, KY)

University of Dallas: This is a private, Catholic college, not a public, nonsectarian institution. (Irving, TX)

University of Kansas: Although the thought of Kansas may spark other images, the campus is located on rolling hills and has lush, green spaces. (Lawrence, KS)

University of Mary Washington: This is a public, coeducational college, and not a private, women's school. (Fredericksburg, VA)

University of Miami: This school is in Florida, but in Coral Gables, not Miami. (Coral Gables, FL)

University of Pennsylvania: This is a private, selective, Ivy League college, not to be confused with Pennsylvania State U. (Philadelphia, PA)

University of Southern California: Though urban, USC is not in the middle of South Central or the Watts section of Los Angeles. (Los Angeles, CA)

University of Tulsa: This is a private, not a state-supported school. (Tulsa, OK)

Vassar College: Some may persist in associating the name with a women's school, but Vassar has been coed since 1969. (Poughkeepsie, NY)

Washington University in St. Louis: Many who hear the name assume this is a Washington state institution, but this university is located in St. Louis. (St. Louis, MO)