  |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Uniquely American Questions
This section briefly outlines the U.S. Education
System.
U.S. EDUCATION
After completing 12 years of primary (grade school) and secondary school
(junior high/middle school and senior high school), most American students
begin some kind of higher (post-secondary) education. Institutions of
higher education include two-year colleges (community or junior colleges),
four year colleges, universities, institutes of technology and art, vocational
and technical schools, and professional schools (law, medicine). Other
students may go on to become an apprentice in a trade (for example, plumbing
or bricklaying), or they may enroll in short-term job training programs.
Higher education can be public (government supported) and private (no
government support), in addition to religiously affiliated schools and
profit-making institutions. The size of educational institutions varies
from very large (20,000 or more) to very small (under 1000 students).
Some undergraduate, degree-granting institutions offer a liberal arts
education while others are more highly specialized in technology, music,
or other professions. Various accreditation agencies assure the quality
of educational institutions and programs.
Graduate programs result in a variety of degrees including the master's
of arts (MA), sciences (MS), business administration (MBA), and specialist
in education (EdS). The most common ñterminalî degrees are doctorates
in a variety of fields (PhD), education (EdD), law (JD), science (DSc),
medicine (MD), and religion or divinity (DD).
Highlights of U.S. Educational Statistics
- Education is mandatory in the U.S. to age 16, and the majority of
students do finish high school (the last four years of secondary education)
- Nearly 15 million American students are enrolled in higher education
in the United States and come from all economic and social backgrounds.
- 55.5% of higher education enrollees are women, 25.3% of enrollees
are minority students, and 3.2% of all enrollees are international students.
- 458,000 international students are enrolled in U.S. colleges and
universities.
- Approximately one-half of the doctoral degrees awarded by U.S. institutions
in engineering, mathematics, and the physical and biological sciences
are earned by international students.
American Education - Other Online Resources
United States Information Agency - Frequently Asked Questions
International Student
Guide - Access American Schools
La Guía
Estudiantil Internacional - Access to American Schools (in Spanish)
|
|
