The college society grew diversely in northern Europe than it did in the south, despite the fact that the northern (principally Germany, France and Great Britain) and southern colleges (essentially Italy) had numerous components in like manner. Latin was the dialect of the college, utilized for all writings, addresses,

 debates and examinations. Teachers addressed on the books of Aristotle for rationale, common logic, and power; while Hippocrates, Galen, and Avicenna were utilized for solution. Outside of these shared characteristics, extraordinary contrasts isolated north and south, essentially in topic. Italian colleges concentrated on law and solution, while the northern colleges concentrated on expressions of the human experience and religious philosophy. There were particular contrasts in the nature of direction in these ranges which were consistent with their concentrate, so researchers would travel north or south in view of their interests and means. There was likewise a distinction in the sorts of degrees recompensed at these colleges. English, French and German colleges generally honored four year college educations, except for degrees in philosophy, for which the doctorate was more normal. Italian colleges granted essentially doctorates. The qualification can be ascribed to the aim of the degree holder after graduation – in the north the center had a tendency to be on getting showing positions, while in the south understudies regularly went ahead to proficient positions.[22] The structure of northern colleges had a tendency to be designed according to the arrangement of personnel administration created at the University of Paris. Southern colleges had a tendency to be designed after the understudy controlled model started at the University of Bologna.[23] Among the southern colleges, a further refinement has been noted between those of northern Italy, which took after the example of Bologna as an "automatic, free organization of researchers" and those of southern Italy and Iberia, which were "established by regal and majestic contract to serve the requirements of government."[24] 

Their blessing by a sovereign or ruler and their part in preparing government authorities made these Mediterranean colleges like Islamic madrasas, in spite of the fact that madrasas were for the most part littler and individual educators, instead of the madrasa itself, conceded the permit or degree.[25] Scholars like Arnold H. Green and Hossein Nasr have contended that beginning in the tenth century, some medieval Islamic madrasahs got to be universities.[26][27] George Makdisi and others,[28] in any case, contend that the European college has no parallel in the medieval Islamic world.[29] Other researchers view the college as interestingly European in root and characteristics.[30][31]