That both are publicly funded but that a land grant college owes its existence to a specific federal purpose is the difference between a land grant college and a state university.

Specifically, land grant colleges and state universities are examples of post-secondary educational institutions that draw upon general public funding. But the land grant college can trace its existence back to the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. By that act, the federal government encouraged states to build colleges to train students in practical agricultural and engineering skills as well as the liberal arts curriculum offered by state universities. Original land grant colleges and state universities now offer competitive curricula all across the board. Their current funding sources and training opportunities resemble each other so closely as to obscure their original differences in input and output.