How many colleges are there in the world?

Impossible to answer unless you define what you mean by "college".. is it a university? or a place of further education? Is it a bridge school or a trade school as both can be considered colleges and many are refered to as such? Do you mean a college as in a seperate university department/body or college as a departmet of higher education? There are just too many variables under which to operate with such a vague term as "college".