Universidad vs. facultad
While both universidad and facultad are related to higher education in Spanish, they refer to different levels of an academic institution. Universidad is the whole entity, while facultad is a specific division within it.
Universidad
A2The word universidad refers to the entire university as a complete institution. It encompasses all its faculties, schools, campuses, and administrative bodies.
Mi sueño es estudiar en una universidad prestigiosa en Europa.
(My dream is to study at a prestigious university in Europe.)
La universidad organiza una feria de empleo cada año para sus estudiantes.
(The university organizes a job fair every year for its students.)
Se graduó de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
(He graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.)
Toda la universidad estaba cerrada durante las vacaciones de invierno.
(The entire university was closed during the winter holidays.)
¿A qué universidad quieres ir después de terminar el bachillerato?
(Which university do you want to go to after finishing high school?)
Facultad
B1The word facultad refers to a specific school, college, or department within a university that is dedicated to a particular field of knowledge, such as law, medicine, or humanities.
Ella es profesora en la Facultad de Arquitectura.
(She is a professor at the Faculty of Architecture.)
Para ser médico, tienes que estudiar en la Facultad de Medicina.
(To be a doctor, you have to study at the Faculty of Medicine.)
El edificio nuevo de la Facultad de Ciencias está al otro lado del campus.
(The new building for the Faculty of Sciences is on the other side of the campus.)
Me inscribí en dos cursos de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras.
(I enrolled in two courses from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.)
La Facultad de Derecho de esta universidad es una de las mejores del país.
(This university's Faculty of Law is one of the best in the country.)
Summary
In essence, the relationship is hierarchical. A universidad is the main institution, the large umbrella. A facultad is one of the major divisions or schools under that umbrella. Therefore, you might study at the Facultad de Ingeniería (Faculty of Engineering) which is part of the Universidad Politécnica (Polytechnic University).