US colleges and universities are known worldwide for their quality of resources, facilities and faculty. Therefore, a number of people aspire for an undergraduate or graduate degree from an US institution. Read on to know about some basic facts on higher education in the United States.

Basic eligibility criteria

You need to be at least 17 years of age in order to pursue higher education in United States. Most of the colleges and universities do not accept international students who are less than 17 years of age. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Academic calendar

Usually, the academic year starts from the end of August or early of September and it continues till the end of May. Most of the undergraduate and post graduate programs are divided into 2 semesters, each consisting of 18 weeks. There may be trimesters each of 12 weeks. In addition to this, universities also provide 6-8 weeks of summer terms.

How to qualify

You should follow these 3 steps in order to get admission in an US college or university.

1. Qualify basic test: You should get good scores in some qualifying tests in order to get admission to a full time undergraduate/graduate course. Some of these tests are GRE, SAT, TOEFL, etc.

2. Choose appropriate course: You need to choose the correct university or college from where you want to pursue your higher education. Then, submit your application to the specific institution/institutions.

3. Get Student Visa: You need to get a Visa in order to study in USA. There are 3 types of student visas, namely, M Visa, F-1 Visa and J-1 Visa.

Types of institutions

There are primarily 6 types of education centers in USA from where you can pursue your undergraduate or graduate degree. They are listed below.

1. Private colleges/universities: These are privately owned or operated institutions. The tuition fees are comparatively higher than the state government educational institutes.

2. State colleges and universities: These institutions are supported as well as run by the State Government. Each and every state in USA owns at least a state university and several state colleges.

3. Professional schools: These institutions train students in professional fields, like engineering, music, art, business, etc.

4. Institutions run by church: A number of US institutions are run by the local religious organizations. Some of these schools may give preference to members who belong to their own religious group.

5. Institute of technology: There are several technical schools that conduct 4 years of study in the field of science and technology. Some of these institutions also offer graduate programs.

6. Community colleges: These are local colleges that are specially meant for international students. However, few countries don’t recognize degrees awarded by the community colleges in USA.

You can contact US colleges and universities for more and specific information about your undergraduate or graduate course. You can also find information on US higher education online.

Useful sites:
642-426 – Download updated Actual Questions and answers of Cisco 642-426 exam that you see in your final Cisco 642-426 exam.