Search
University

Higher education in the USA

Griffis Helen

The United States is the most popular country for international students to pursue higher education. Why? Let’s understand the pros and cons of American education, what degrees you can get, and how to get into an American university.

Briefly about higher education in the USA

  • Education in the US is the most popular destination for international students. There are more than a million of them here[1].
  • Price. Higher education in America is one of the most expensive in the world. Universities cost 20,000-50,000 USD/year, and colleges from 10,000 USD/year. Accommodation will cost at least 11,000 USD/year.
  • Requirements. You can apply for a bachelor’s degree in the USA right after the 11th grade of school. You need to pass two compulsory exams: SAT and TOEFL. Preparation should start 1.5-2 years before applying. The documents themselves are submitted one year before the start of studies. Universities also set a minimum grade point average (GPA). GRE/GMAT exams are often required for admission to graduate programs.
  • Preparing for Graduate School. Students can take a 1-2 semester Pathway preparatory program. This will help to tighten up the language and major subjects, to get into a new environment. After graduation, some Pathway programs offer guaranteed admission to a partner university. However, the cost of such programs is comparable to a bachelor’s degree.
  • Competition. Despite the paid tuition, there is a very high competition. Some universities enroll only 5-10% of applicants.
  • College. An alternative option is to enroll in a two-year Associate’s degree program at a Community College. It is less prestigious, but allows you to save money and further transfer to the university in the 3rd year without high competition. For 10,000 USD you can find good colleges even in California.
  • Scholarships. There are two main types of scholarships and grants in the USA: need-based for those in need and merit-based for talented applicants. Merit-based usually cover only part of the costs and are extremely difficult to win. They are mostly available to Master’s and PhD students. There are also sports scholarships, but you need outstanding achievements to get them.
  • Visa. To study in an American university, you need a student visa F-1. The main thing here is to pass the interview and prove that you are not going to immigrate under the pretext of education.

Professional education in the USA

Vocational education in the USA is received at two-year (community) colleges. They have many names: two-year / community / junior / technical / city colleges. Upon completion, students are awarded certificates, diplomas and associate degrees. Four-year colleges differ in that they award both associate and bachelor’s degrees.

Similar to the bachelor’s degree, associate degrees come in the forms Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), and Associate of Applied Science (AAS), as well as AAB, AAT, ABA, AE, AEng, AIT, AN, AOS, AT, and other major varieties. In the first year, general disciplines are studied there, and from the second year onwards, specialized subjects appear. The labor intensity is 60 credits.

Admission to community colleges is much easier than to four-year colleges, as admission is based on an open admissions policy. Entrance requirements often include only a high school diploma.

The minimum threshold for English proficiency is TOEFL iBT 55-61 / IELTS 5.5, but at many colleges this figure is arbitrary. A student may be admitted with a lower level. In this case he/she will be offered language courses. SAT results, as a rule, are not taken into account.

After two years, graduates already have access to employment. But most continue their studies at a higher level of higher education. Many community colleges have partnerships with four-year colleges and universities. Students are enrolled immediately in the third year of study, followed by a bachelor’s degree. This scheme is becoming increasingly popular among both locals and foreigners. First, it is a significant saving of money – education in a two-year college is many times cheaper. Secondly, it is the absence of competition when transferring – the applicant does not have to participate in the competition when entering the 1st year of university.

Bachelor’s degree in the USA

Bachelor’s degree is the first stage of higher education. Bachelor’s degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the USA can be obtained in four-year educational institutions – colleges and universities. Each year at a bachelor’s degree has its own name: freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. After two years of general education courses, a student focuses on his or her major.

In the fields of medicine and law there is no bachelor’s degree as such. There are professional graduate schools for them in the USA. Before enrolling there, future medical students must take a mandatory set of courses – pre-med.