Higher education in the United States is considered one of the most prestigious. Five American universities are among the top ten in the world according to the QS ranking. Every year thousands of foreigners choose America to study at university. In 2019-2020, there were more than a million of them there.
Vocational Education
High school graduates can get a quick vocational education at community colleges – community colleges. Education in them lasts for two years. They have a slightly lower course load than universities, with an emphasis on practical skills. The students get associate degrees and may get jobs in their field of study.
Another option after community college is to transfer directly to the third year of university. To do this you need to have a GPA of 3.5 out of 4, with all the marks in the core subjects must be excellent. Foreigners sometimes need a TOEFL and SAT score.
You cannot transfer to Harvard or Yale from a community college, but other intermediate colleges are available. Many community colleges sign agreements with universities to guarantee admission. For example, you can transfer from Bergen community college to New York University. Check the College Transfer website for information on university agreements, transfer destinations, and programs available.
University Studies
The U.S. university system has three levels:
- Bachelor’s degree – 4 years.
- Master’s degree is two years.
- Doctoral studies take 4 to 6 years.
The study process at U.S. universities is flexible. Students plan their schedules themselves, and instead of hours of lectures they lead seminars and discussions. When applying, students choose a major and then add a minor. The latter may be a useful adjunct to the major. For example, major – engineering, minor – robotics. Or it can reflect the student’s personal interests: major in biology, minor in French literature. Both are natural for American universities.
Master’s and doctoral programs are taught in special graduate and professional schools. The former bring together several fields of study, and the latter are more specialized. They impart knowledge in specific fields: nursing, law, business, etc. The training process includes not only research and theory, but also regular practice and work on the topic of the dissertation. PhD graduates are most often awarded a PhD degree. For professional programs there are DBA, JD, MD, and so on.
It costs 20,000-50,000 USD/year to study in the States. Plus living expenses are about 10,000 USD/year more. Fortunately, many universities in the US award scholarships and grants to students. Some, like the Ivy League, cover up to 100% of tuition costs.
To be admitted to a U.S. university, an international applicant must have a high GPA, TOEFL or IELTS certification, pass the SAT/ACT, write a letter of motivation, and receive recommendations. The application process for each level of study and the detailed requirements are outlined in our article on applying to the United States. There you will also find information about applying to community colleges and the Pathway program.