1865 after the end of the civil war, many States began to set up public junior high schools and high schools. State universities, agricultural colleges and technical colleges have also seen amazing growth. At the beginning of the 20th century, the ideal that everyone should receive high school education gained wide support in the United States. After graduating from high school, the number of people applying to enter colleges and universities has greatly increased, and then the number of college students has also greatly increased.
Today, nearly 6 million Americans study in schools, colleges or universities, and millions more attend adult education courses. Almost all American children have received at least eight years of education, 75% have graduated from high school, and 25% have obtained diplomas from four-year colleges and universities. The huge education program makes the United States one of the countries with the largest number of educated people in the world, and only 1% of Americans can't read and write.
Primary and secondary education is mainly managed by state education committees and local governments, and most States implement ten-year compulsory education. The educational system varies from state to state, mostly six years in primary school, three years in junior high school and three years in senior high school. There are two kinds of schools in the United States: public schools are supported by government taxes, and students are admitted free of charge; Most private schools are supported by the church, including those that meet a considerable academic foundation. In junior high school, about 10% people study in private or religious schools. In senior high school, about 10% of people also attend private or religious schools. About 20% of college students go to private schools or missionary schools.
All states require children to go to school. In most states, children must be educated before 16 years old. The state entrusts many educational responsibilities to local education committees, most of which are elected by local school districts. Most American public schools are invested and managed by local governments. However, at present, the federal and state governments are playing an increasingly important role in investing in local schools.
Schools in the United States are divided into the following four categories according to age:
1. Primary school: 1-6 grade (6- 12 years old)
2. Junior high school: Grade 7-8 (13- 14 years old)
3. Middle school: Grade 9-12 (15- 18 years old)
4. Universities (colleges): Generally, there are four-year undergraduate courses, two-year junior colleges and technical colleges, and two-to four-year "research institutes" or "professional colleges", which are established for university graduates to engage in research.
At present, American universities implement associate degree system, bachelor degree system, master degree system and doctoral degree system, which represent four different academic levels of undergraduate and postgraduate education respectively. Because the associate degree is only the qualification certificate of a college or community college two years later, it is not a necessary stage for studying for a bachelor's degree, so the degree system in the United States is basically a three-tier structure. According to the nature of degrees, they are generally divided into academic (research) degrees and professional (specialist) degrees. In addition, American universities also award honorary degrees, which do not reflect academic achievements, but commend people who have made outstanding contributions to society.
American universities are customarily divided into the following three categories:
Two-year colleges, also known as junior or technical colleges, are mostly public and organized by local communities, so they are generally called community colleges. There are two kinds of courses offered by community colleges: one is a transitional liberal arts course, which is equivalent to the first two years of a four-year university, and students can transfer to a four-year university for further study; The other is the termination of vocational and technical courses and the direct employment of graduates. The degree awarded by the community college is an associate degree. The admission conditions of community colleges are simple, regardless of age, and there is no need to pass the entrance examination; Flexible study time, full-time, half-day, weekend, night school courses, winter and summer vacations and holiday classes; Because of the short study period, low fees, and the need to offer courses in this field to facilitate employment, it is increasingly favored by all walks of life.
Four-year universities can be divided into two categories: one is liberal arts college or liberal arts college. Basic courses include humanities (language, literature, philosophy, art, music, cultural history, etc. ), social and behavioral sciences (history, geography, economy, politics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, etc. ) and natural sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, etc. ). The other is independent colleges, such as mechanical colleges, architectural colleges, engineering colleges, conservatories of music, teachers' colleges, etc. , mainly providing specialized vocational education. The academic system of the above two types of colleges is generally 4 years. The most common degrees awarded to graduates in liberal arts colleges and liberal arts colleges are Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, while professional degrees are awarded by junior colleges.
Comprehensive university, with large scale, complex organization, strong faculty and complete facilities, generally has several colleges with arts and sciences as the core. In addition to the usual arts and sciences courses, there are engineering technology, business, international issues, health, education, agriculture, home economics, architecture, communication, journalism, library science, hotel management and so on. Most comprehensive universities attach importance to research work, including not only advanced and powerful research institutions, but also graduate students (forums), which shoulder the dual mission of sending teaching and research talents to universities and society.
Colleges, so these universities are also called research universities. In addition, many comprehensive universities also have some advanced professional colleges, such as law schools, medical schools, dental schools and management schools. Entering these professional colleges often requires four years of undergraduate education, usually 3-4 years, which takes a long time and costs a lot. Comprehensive universities award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
The famous American institutions of higher learning are: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, University of Chicago, George Washington University, Yale University, California Institute of Technology, John F.? Hopkins University, Princeton University, Duke University.