The United States is the premiere destination for international students from all over the world. The main advantages of higher education in USA are as follows:
USA stands unique in its education system. There is not national educational system or curriculum. The federal governments does not regulate or operate schools in the country.
Each of the 50 states has its own Department of Education, which sets guidelines for the schools of that state. Public colleges and universities receive funding from student tuition and from the state government in which they are located.
Most of the control of American schools is in the hands of each local school district. Each school district is governed by a school board, a small committee of people elected by the local community. The school board sets general policies for the school district. Student do not pay tuition from grades 1-12.
Organization includes information on how education in the United States is governed, including the roles of the different levels of authority in our federal system, the role of national associations, and the ways by which standards and quality are monitored.
1) Each state in the United States maintains its own public university system, which is always non-profit.
These are schools offering bachelors degree options are operated by a state government and are financed by public funds.
They are also called state universities and sometimes have the word “State” in their names (for example, San Diego State University).
The tuition charged by these schools is typically much lower for students who are residents of the state where the school is located.
Public universities offer bachelor’s degrees and some offer master’s and PhD degrees, too.International students will pay higher tuition because they and their parents have not contributed to the taxes that help finance the schools. The bachelors or master degree programs offered at public universities vary per school and are popular with international students.
Most areas also have private institutions, which may be for-profit or non-profit. Unlike many other nations, there are no public universities at the national level.
These are schools that are operated by private individuals and are financed by private funds. These schools are not controlled by any government agency and also offer many bachelors degree options. Tuition fees at private schools is normally much higher than at public schools because of the lack of financial support from the government.
In private universities both, the American as well as International student pays at par
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree at a private university or college is what many international students choose.
Lower status educational institutions include community colleges.
These are primarily two-year education public institutions, which individual states usually require to accept all local residents who seek admission, and offer associate’s degree or vocational certificate programs.
Many community colleges have relationships with four-year education state universities and colleges or even private universities that enable their students to transfer to these universities for a four-year degree after completing a two-year program at the community college.
The US education system requires that students complete 12 years of primary and secondary education prior to attending university or college.
Students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree can continue their education by pursuing a master degree. This is usually a two-year degree that is highly specialized in a specific field. Students are sometimes admitted to a master’s degree program only if they have a bachelor’s degree in a closely related field.
The institutions accept at least four years but not more than five years of full-time college-level coursework. Some of institutions have started accepting students with three year degree.
Most colleges and universities follow either a quarter-based calendar system or a semester-based calendar system. In a quarter system, the academic year is divided into three sessions called quarters. Each quarter lasts about 12 weeks. There is usually an additional quarter in the summer, where registration is optional. Foreign students are not required to attend courses in the summer to maintain their status. In a semester system, the academic year is divided into two sessions called semesters. Each semester lasts 16 weeks. Again, there may be an optional session during the summer.
Students who have registered for at least 12 units in a session (either a quarter or semester) are said to be “full-time” students. International students must maintain a “full-time course load” in order to maintain their visa status.