When you first encounter the American educational system, you may find some things confusing. For example, in the United States a college offers university level education. While in many other countries, they may use a term similar to college for what is referred to as high school in America. Because of these differences, it is important to have an understanding of the structure of the American educational system. Let's walk through some of the basic structural elements. First of all, formal education in the United States begins when a child is five years old. In the US we call this kindergarten. American educational law requires that children attend school until they are at least 16 years of age. A child typically completes their primary and secondary schooling in 12 years. Each year of schooling is divided into a grade level. There are 12 grade levels in the US academic system. The exact division may vary a little from place to place, but generally what we refer to as primary school includes the first five or six grades. Next, middle school, which is also referred to as, junior high school, includes grades six or seven, and continues through grades eight or nine. Then there is secondary school, which we also refer to as high school. High school includes all the remaining grades through grade 12. There are some vocational, or specialized schools, at the high school level but most students just graduate with a general high school degree. When it comes time to make a decision about higher education, American students can choose between a community college, a college, and a university. Community colleges offer the first two years of college study, culminating in an associate's degree. Some students choose classes to prepare them with specific job skills they can use when they graduate from a community college. And other's take courses to prepare them for further studies in a college or university. Most community colleges, as expressed in their name, are colleges supported by the taxes of a group of communities to provide a higher education alternative that is geographically close to their homes. Community colleges are usually less expensive because of community support, and students usually live at home and commute to their classes. It is not necessary to go to a community college, and many, perhaps most students, choose to enroll directly in a college or university. In the United States the terms college and university are used almost interchangeably. A student will say for example, I am going to college, whether or not their institution is, has a college in their name. His, historically, colleges offer a collection of studies in the same academic area, while a university refers to a group of colleges, but that's not always the case. Universities have, have more of a research focus than colleges. And most doctoral degrees are awarded by universities because they have the resources to support doctoral research. Universities tend to be larger and are often composed of multiple colleges, sometimes referred to as schools. For example, a university may have a college or school of business. A college, or school of humanities. A college, or school of engineering, et cetera. But students from all of the colleges within the university are awarded a degree from the university, not from their specific college or school. Are you confused yet? In addition, in the US, we also have public university systems. A good example of this is the State University of New York system, or SUNY. SUNY is composed of 64 colleges and universities throughout the state of New York. Upon graduation from a university system, students receive a diploma that says State University of New York, in addition to the name of the institution where they actually completed their studies. It is important to note that there are higher education institutions which are equivalent to colleges and universities that have the title of institute. For example, institutes of technology or polytechnic institutes. These types of higher education institutions focus on a specific professional field or a specialized area like technology, engineering and or science. The most well known American institute is probably the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT. Within the SUNY system alone, there are two institutes, the Fashion Institute of Technology and the SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Keep in mind that some vocational schools at the secondary level, or high school level, also use the name of institute, so if you are interested in that particular type of education, be sure you are choosing an institution at the appropriate level. The American educational system may seem confusing. But it is important to be aware of the structure as you choose your path for higher education in America.
