U.S. Education

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U.S. Education 

The U.S. educational system is very different from the rest of the worlds. Learn more about the system before you decide whether or not to study in the U.S. While many things will be the same many things will be quite different from home.

The first step to understanding American education is to look at how the whole education system is organized. Most Americans attend twelve years of primary and secondary school. With a secondary school ("high school") diploma or certificate, a U.S. student can enter post-secondary school ("college"). After finishing high school, U.S. students may go on to some form of "higher education" such as college or university. 

Study at a institution of higher learning which leads to a Bachelor's Degree is known as "undergraduate" education. Study beyond the Bachelor's Degree is known as "graduate" school, or "postgraduate" education.

You need to find out which level of education in your country corresponds to the twelfth grade in the U.S. Also, in some countries, employers do not recognize a U.S. education if it was begun before the student was eligible to enter university at home.

Where you can get a U.S. higher education -

1. State College or University

A state school is financially supported and run by a state or local government. Each of the 50 U.S. states operates at least one state university. Many states have several state colleges.

2. Private college or University

A private school is not supported by the government and is owned and operated privately. Tuition at a private university is usually  higher than at a state school, but not always.

3. Two-Year College

A two-year college degree is generally called an Associate's Degree. There are both public and private two-year schools. Many  two-year or "junior" college graduates transfer to four-year colleges to complete their Bachelor's degree.

4. Community College

Community colleges serve a local community, usually a specific city or a county. Many of the students at a community college are adults  or evening students who work during the day. Sometimes going to a community college to get your pre-requisites out of the way is a more economical alternative to immediately enrolling in a four-year college or university. Just make sure that all of your community college credits will transfer into whatever program you ultimately want to enroll in.