diff --git a/changelog/6059.improvement.rst b/changelog/6059.improvement.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39ffff99b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/6059.improvement.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Collection errors are reported as errors (and not failures like before) in the terminal's short test summary.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/terminal.py b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
index 35f6d324b..e9d44f2a8 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -187,7 +187,13 @@ def pytest_report_teststatus(report):
         letter = "F"
         if report.when != "call":
             letter = "f"
-    return report.outcome, letter, report.outcome.upper()
+
+    # Report failed CollectReports as "error" (in line with pytest_collectreport).
+    outcome = report.outcome
+    if report.when == "collect" and outcome == "failed":
+        outcome = "error"
+
+    return outcome, letter, outcome.upper()
 
 
 @attr.s
diff --git a/testing/test_terminal.py b/testing/test_terminal.py
index a624be3b4..fdd53d3c6 100644
--- a/testing/test_terminal.py
+++ b/testing/test_terminal.py
@@ -1776,3 +1776,20 @@ def test_format_session_duration(seconds, expected):
     from _pytest.terminal import format_session_duration
 
     assert format_session_duration(seconds) == expected
+
+
+def test_collecterror(testdir):
+    p1 = testdir.makepyfile("raise SyntaxError()")
+    result = testdir.runpytest("-ra", str(p1))
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
+        [
+            "collected 0 items / 1 errors",
+            "*= ERRORS =*",
+            "*_ ERROR collecting test_collecterror.py _*",
+            "E   SyntaxError: *",
+            "*= short test summary info =*",
+            "ERROR test_collecterror.py",
+            "*! Interrupted: 1 errors during collection !*",
+            "*= 1 error in *",
+        ]
+    )