The United States of America is regarded as one of the best developed and crucial first world countries. It is the most important player in many international forums along with being the first in multiple fields. One of these avenues where the US is leaping forward and has always been ahead of others is education. Every student has once exclaimed that they dream of studying in the US. The US has been a crucial ground for international students with one of the largest influx of students coming from India to study in its prestigious colleges and universities. With such great infrastructure and facilities, it must be no wonder that the US government spends large sums of money on its educational sector. Along with this, private enterprises actively encourage education by pouring in huge amounts of money into their courses, infrastructure, and more.
Education systems in the US
Let us first understand the structure of the US education system before we dive into the spending.
For international students, the American educational system provides a diverse range of options. Even students from the United States may be overwhelmed by the variety of schools, programs, and places available.
SECONDARY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
Prior to entering higher education, American students spend a total of 12 years in elementary and secondary school. The first through twelfth grades are the years in question.
Children in the United States enter primary school, often known as “elementary school,” around the age of six. They go to primary school for five or six years before moving on to high school.
Secondary education is divided into two programs: middle school (also known as junior high school) and high school (also known as senior high school). Graduation from high school is marked by the presentation of a diploma or certificate. Students in the United States can attend college or university after graduating from high school (12th grade). Studying at a college or university is referred to as “higher education.”
GRADING SYSTEM
Academic transcripts are required as part of your application for university or college admission. Official copies of your academic work are called academic transcripts. This includes your “grades” and “grade point average” (GPA) in the United States, which are measures of academic success. Percentages are often used to grade courses, which are then converted to letter grades.
There is a lot of diversity in how grades are interpreted. Two students from separate schools, for example, both submit their transcripts to the same institution. They both have 3.5 GPAs, but one went to an ordinary high school and the other went to a prominent, intellectually demanding institution. Their GPAs may be interpreted differently by the university.
ACADEMIC YEAR
The academic year typically starts in August or September and ends in May or June. Because the majority of new students start in the fall, it is a good idea for overseas students to start their university studies in the United States at this time.
Many institutions divide their academic year into two parts known as “semesters.” (Some schools utilize the “trimester” system, which is a three-term schedule.) Others, on the other hand, divide the year into four quarters, with a summer session as an alternative. If the summer session is excluded, the academic year is divided into two semesters or three-quarter terms.
THE U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM: LEVELS OF STUDY
First Level: Undergraduate
A bachelor’s degree usually takes four years to complete. A community college or a four-year university or college are both good places to start your bachelor’s degree studies.
Prerequisite courses, which include literature, science, social sciences, the arts, and other topics, will almost always be necessary. This is to ensure that you have a broad understanding of a range of disciplines before focusing on a single field of study.
The precise subject of study on which your degree is focused is referred to as a “major.”
A very unique characteristic of the American higher education system is that you can change your major multiple times if you choose.
Second Level: Graduate in Pursuit of a Master’s Degree
In order to enter specific professions or enhance their careers, a college or university graduate with a bachelor’s degree may wish to carefully consider graduate studies. Higher-level employment in library science, engineering, mental health, and teaching typically need this degree.
Master’s degree programs generally take one to two years to finish. For instance, the MBA (master of business administration) is a two-year degree program that is highly popular. Other master’s degrees, such as journalism, can be completed in as little as a year.
Third Level: Graduate in Pursuit of a Doctorate Degree
A master’s degree is often considered the first step toward a Ph.D. by many graduate programs (doctorate). Other colleges, on the other hand, allow students to prepare for a doctorate without first getting a master’s degree. A Ph.D. degree might take three years or more to complete. It might take up to five or six years for overseas students.
TYPES OF U.S HIGHER EDUCATION
1. STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
A state or local government funds and operates a state school. Each of the 50 states in the United States has at least one state university and, in some cases, many state colleges. The names of several of these public institutions include the state’s name or the term “State”: for example, Washington State University and the University of Michigan.
2. PRIVATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
These schools are privately managed rather than being run by a government agency. Tuition is generally more expensive than at public schools. Private universities and colleges in the United States are frequently smaller than public universities and colleges.
3. COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Community colleges are two-year institutions that offer associate’s degrees (which are transferable) and certificates. Associate degrees come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the most essential distinction is whether or not the degree is transferable. Typically, there will be two major degree tracks: one for academic transfer and the other to equip students for immediate employment.
4. INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
An institute of technology is a college or university that offers at least four years of scientific and technical education. Others provide short-term courses while others have degree programs.
4. Expenditure on Education in the US
Despite spending over $700 billion on public education, the United States falls below most other developed countries in major academic measures.
School curriculums, teaching techniques, and class organization vary greatly around the globe.
According to the most recent version for 2018, the United States spent around $12,800 per student on elementary and secondary education in 2015. That’s more than 35% more than the OECD average of $9,500. At the post-secondary level, the United States paid around $30,000 per student, which was 93 percent more than the OECD average ($16,100).
In addition, the United States spent a less percentage of its overall wealth on education than many of its peers. The United States lagged Norway, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Colombia, and Chile in terms of the proportion of GDP spent on education, with around 6.2 percent.
5. Public Funding for Education
The majority of educational institutions in OECD nations are supported by the government. Governments support 90 percent of elementary, intermediate, and postsecondary non-university education and 66 percent of tertiary education, according to the OECD. Chile, Colombia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States account for around 70 percent of the total.
Education Spending in the United States
In terms of information obtained via school, American students do far lower than many of their colleagues across the world. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment, 15-year-olds in the United States scored 31st on OECD standardized mathematics examinations, while their reading and science results were well below average.
In the years leading up to the OECD study, the United States was one of only five nations in the OECD to decrease education funding. According to the 2017 OECD study, education investment in the United States fell by 3% between 2010 and 2014, whereas spending in other countries increased by 5%.
