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Education in the United States 3V. Public and private schools In the United States, state and local government have
primary responsibility for education. The Federal Department of Education plays
a role in standards setting and education finance, and some military primary
and secondary schools are run by the Department of Defense.[49] K-12 students in most areas have a choice between free
tax-funded public schools, or privately-funded private schools.[citation
needed] Public school systems are supported by a combination
of local, state, and federal government funding. Because a large portion of
school revenues come from local property taxes, public schools vary widely in
the resources they have available per student. Class size also varies from one
district to another. Curriculum decisions in public schools are made largely at
the local and state levels; the federal government has limited influence. In most
districts, a locally elected school board runs schools. The school board
appoints an official called the superintendent of schools to manage the schools
in the district. The largest public school system in the United States is in
New York City, where more than one million students are taught in 1,200
separate public schools. Because of its immense size – there are more students
in the system than residents in eight US states – the New York City public
school system is nationally influential in determining standards and materials,
such as textbooks. Admission to individual public schools is usually
based on residency. To compensate for differences in school quality based on
geography, school systems serving large cities and portions of large cities
often have "magnet schools" that provide enrollment to a specified
number of non-resident students in addition to serving all resident students.
This special enrollment is usually decided by lottery with equal numbers of
males and females chosen. Some magnet schools cater to gifted students or to
students with special interests, such as the sciences or performing arts.[50] Private schools in the United States include parochial
schools (affiliated with religious denominations), non-profit independent
schools, and for-profit private schools. Private schools charge varying rates
depending on geographic location, the school's expenses, and the availability
of funding from sources, other than tuition. For example, some churches
partially subsidize private schools for their members. Some people have argued
that when their child attends a private school, they should be able to take the
funds that the public school no longer needs and apply that money towards
private school tuition in the form of vouchers. This is the basis of the school
choice movement.[citation needed] 5,072,451 students attended 33,740 private elementary
and secondary schools in 2007. 74.5% of these were Caucasian, non-Hispanic,
9.8% were African American , 9.6% were Hispanic. 5.4% were Asian or Pacific Islander,
and .6% were American Indian. Average school size was 150.3 students. There
were 456,266 teachers. The number of students per teacher was about 11. 65% of
seniors in private schools in 2006-7 went on to attend a 4-year college.[51] Private schools have various missions: some cater to
college-bound students seeking a competitive edge in the college admissions
process; others are for gifted students, students with learning disabilities or
other special needs, or students with specific religious affiliations. Some
cater to families seeking a small school, with a nurturing, supportive
environment. Unlike public school systems, private schools have no legal
obligation to accept any interested student. Admission to some private schools
is often highly selective. Private schools also have the ability to permanently
expel persistently unruly students, a disciplinary option not legally available
to public school systems. Private schools offer the advantages of smaller
classes, under twenty students in a typical elementary classroom, for example;
a higher teacher/student ratio across the school day, greater individualized
attention and in the more competitive schools, expert college placement
services. Unless specifically designed to do so, private schools usually cannot
offer the services required by students with serious or multiple learning,
emotional, or behavioral issues. Although reputed to pay lower salaries than
public school systems, private schools often attract teachers by offering
high-quality professional development opportunities, including tuition grants
for advanced degrees. According to elite private schools themselves, this
investment in faculty development helps maintain the high quality program that
they offer. An August 17, 2000 article by the Chicago Sun-Times
refers to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools
as the largest private school system in the United States.[52] VI. College and university Alumni Hall at Saint Anselm College Post-secondary education in the United States is known
as college or university and commonly consists of four years of study at an
institution of higher learning. There are 4,352 colleges, universities, and
junior colleges in the country.[53] In 2008, 36% of enrolled students graduated
from college in four years. 57% completed their undergraduate requirements in
six years, at the same college they first enrolled in.[54] The U.S. ranks 10th
among industrial countries for percentage of adults with college degrees.[5] Suzzallo
Library at University of Washington Like high school, the four undergraduate grades are
commonly called freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years (alternatively
called first year, second year, etc.). Students traditionally apply for
admission into colleges. Schools differ in their competitiveness and
reputation; generally, the most prestigious schools are private, rather than
public. Admissions criteria involve the rigor and grades earned in high school
courses taken, the students' GPA, class ranking, and standardized test scores
(Such as the SAT or the ACT tests). Most colleges also consider more subjective
factors such as a commitment to extracurricular activities, a personal essay,
and an interview. While colleges will rarely list that they require a certain standardized
test score, class ranking, or GPA for admission, each college usually has a
rough threshold below which admission is unlikely.[citation needed] Engineering
Mall at Purdue University Once admitted, students engage in undergraduate study,
which consists of satisfying university and class requirements to achieve a
bachelor's degree in a field of concentration known as a major. (Some students
enroll in double majors or "minor" in another field of study.) The
most common method consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor of
Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes another bachelor's
degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Social Work
(B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.)
Five-Year Professional Architecture programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture
Degree (B.Arch.) Professional degrees such as law, medicine, pharmacy,
and dentistry, are offered as graduate study after earning at least three years
of undergraduate schooling or after earning a bachelor's degree depending on
the program. These professional fields do not require a specific undergraduate
major, though medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry have set prerequisite courses
that must be taken before enrollment.[citation needed] Alexander Hall
at Princeton University Some students choose to attend a community college for
two years prior to further study at another college or university. In most
states, community colleges are operated either by a division of the state
university or by local special districts subject to guidance from a state
agency. Community colleges may award Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of
Science (AS) degree after two years. Those seeking to continue their education
may transfer to a four-year college or university (after applying through a
similar admissions process as those applying directly to the four-year
institution, see articulation). Some community colleges have automatic
enrollment agreements with a local four-year college, where the community
college provides the first two years of study and the university provides the
remaining years of study, sometimes all on one campus. The community college
awards the associate's degree, and the university awards the bachelor's and
master's degrees.[citation needed] Homer statue at the University of Virginia Graduate study, conducted after obtaining an initial
degree and sometimes after several years of professional work, leads to a more
advanced degree such as a master's degree, which could be a Master of Arts
(MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or other
less common master's degrees such as Master of Education (MEd), and Master of
Fine Arts (MFA). Some students pursue a graduate degree that is in between a master's
degree and a doctoral degree called a Specialist in Education (Ed.S.). After additional years of study and sometimes in
conjunction with the completion of a master's degree and/or Ed.S. degree,
students may earn a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or other doctoral degree, such
as Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Medicine,
Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Osteopathy, Doctor of
Podiatry Medicine, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Doctor of Psychology, or
Juris Doctor. Some programs, such as medicine and psychology, have formal
apprenticeship procedures post-graduation, such as residencies and internships,
which must be completed after graduation and before one is considered fully
trained. Other professional programs like law and business have no formal
apprenticeship requirements after graduation (although law school graduates
must take the bar exam to legally practice law in nearly all states). Entrance into graduate programs usually depends upon a
student's undergraduate academic performance or professional experience as well
as their score on a standardized entrance exam like the Graduate Record
Examination (GRE-graduate schools in general), the Medical College Admission
Test (MCAT), or the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Many graduate and law
schools do not require experience after earning a bachelor's degree to enter
their programs; however, business school candidates are usually required to
gain a few years of professional work experience before applying. 8.9 percent
of students receive postgraduate degrees. Most, after obtaining their
bachelor's degree, proceed directly into the workforce.[55] Cost (See also: College tuition in the United States) Study comparing
college revenue per student by tuition and state funding in 2008 dollars.[56] The vast majority of students (up to 70
percent)[citation needed] lack the financial resources to pay tuition up front
and must rely on student loans and scholarships from their university, the
federal government, or a private lender. All but a few charity institutions
cover all of the students' tuition, although scholarships (both merit-based and
need-based) are widely available. Generally, private universities charge much
higher tuition than their public counterparts, which rely on state funds to
make up the difference. Because each state supports its own university system
with state taxes, most public universities charge much higher rates for
out-of-state students.[citation needed] Annual undergraduate tuition varies widely from state
to state, and many additional fees apply. In 2009, average annual tuition at a
public university (for residents of the state) was $7,020.[54] Tuition for
public school students from outside the state is generally comparable to private
school prices, although students can often qualify for state residency after
their first year. Private schools are typically much higher, although prices
vary widely from "no-frills" private schools to highly specialized
technical institutes. Depending upon the type of school and program, annual
graduate program tuition can vary from $15,000 to as high as $50,000. Note that
these prices do not include living expenses (rent, room/board, etc.) or
additional fees that schools add on such as "activities fees" or
health insurance. These fees, especially room and board, can range from $6,000
to $12,000 per academic year (assuming a single student without children).[57] The mean annual Total Cost (including all costs
associated with a full-time post-secondary schooling, such as tuition and fees,
books and supplies, room and board), as reported by collegeboard.com for
2010:[57] Public University (4 years): $27,967 (per year) Private University (4 years): $40,476 (per year) Total, four year schooling: Public University: $81,356 Private University: $161,904 College costs are rising at the same time that state
appropriations for aid are shrinking. This has led to debate over funding at
both the state and local levels. From 2002 to 2004 alone, tuition rates at
public schools increased over 14 percent, largely due to dwindling state
funding. An increase of 6 percent occurred over the same period for private
schools.[57] Between 1982 and 2007, college tuition and fees rose three times
as fast as median family income, in constant dollars.[58] From the US Census Bureau, the median salary of an
individual who has only a high school diploma is $27,967; The median salary of
an individual who has a bachelor's degree is $47,345.[59] Certain degrees, such
as in engineering, typically result in salaries far exceeding high school
graduates, whereas degrees in teaching and social work fall below.[citation
needed] The debt of the average college graduate for student
loans in 2010 was $23,200.[60] A 2010 study indicates that the "return on
investment" for graduating from the top 1000 colleges exceeds 4% over a
high school degree.[61] To combat costs colleges have hired adjunct professors
to teach. In 2008 these teachers cost about $1,800 per 3-credit class as
opposed to $8,000 per class for a tenured professor. Two-thirds of college
instructors were adjuncts. There are differences of opinion whether these
adjuncts teach better or worse than regular professors. There is a suspicion
that student evaluation of adjuncts, along with their subsequent continued
employment, can lead to grade inflation.[62] The status ladder American college and university faculty, staff,
alumni, students, and applicants monitor rankings produced by magazines such as
U.S. News and World Report, Academic Ranking of World Universities, test
preparation services such as The Princeton Review or another university itself
such as the Top American Research Universities by the University of Florida's
The Center.[63] These rankings are based on factors like brand recognition,
selectivity in admissions, generosity of alumni donors, and volume of faculty
research. In global university rankings, the US dominates more than half the
top 50 places (27) and has a total of 72 institutions in the top 200 table
under the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.[64] It has more
than twice as many universities represented in the top 200 as its nearest
rival, the United Kingdom, which has 29. A small percentage of students who
apply to these schools gain admission.[65] Included among the top 20
institutions identified by ARWU in 2009 are six of the eight schools in the Ivy
League; 4 of the 10 schools in the University of California system; the private
Universities of Stanford, Chicago, and Johns Hopkins; the public Universities
of Washington and Wisconsin; and the Massachusetts and California Institutes of
Technology.[66] Also renowned within the United States are the
so-called "Little Ivies" and a number of prestigious liberal arts
colleges. Certain public universities (sometimes referred to as "Public
Ivies") are also recognized for their outstanding record in scholarship.
Some of these institutions currently place among the elite in certain
measurements of graduate education and research, especially among engineering
and medical schools.[67][68] Each state in the United States maintains its own
public university system, which is always non-profit. The State University of
New York and the California State University are the largest public higher
education systems in the United States; SUNY is the largest system that
includes community colleges, while CSU is the largest without. Most areas also
have private institutions, which may be for-profit or non-profit. Unlike many
other nations, there are no public universities at the national level outside
of the military service academies. Prospective students applying to attend four of the
five military academies require, with limited exceptions, nomination by a
member of Congress. Like acceptance to "top tier" universities,
competition for these limited nominations is intense and must be accompanied by
superior scholastic achievement and evidence of "leadership
potential." The one academy that has never used congressional nomination,
the United States Coast Guard Academy, is regularly cited as one of the
country's most selective higher education institutions.[citation needed] Aside from these aforementioned schools, academic
reputations vary widely among the 'middle-tier' of American schools, (and even
among academic departments within each of these schools.) Most public and
private institutions fall into this 'middle' range. Some institutions feature
honors colleges or other rigorous programs that challenge academically
exceptional students, who might otherwise attend a 'top-tier' college.[69][70][71][72]
Aware of the status attached to the perception of the college that they attend,
students often apply to a range of schools. Some apply to a relatively
prestigious school with a low acceptance rate, gambling on the chance of
acceptance, and also apply to a "safety school",[73] to which they
will (almost) certainly gain admission. Lower status institutions include community colleges.
These are primarily two-year public institutions, which individual states
usually require to accept all local residents who seek admission, and offer
associate's degrees or vocational certificate programs. Many community colleges
have relationships with four-year state universities and colleges or even
private universities that enable their students to transfer to these
universities for a four-year degree after completing a two-year program at the
community college.[citation needed] Regardless of perceived prestige, many institutions
feature at least one distinguished academic department, and most post-secondary
American students attend one of the 2,400 four-year colleges and universities
or 1,700 two-year colleges not included among the twenty-five or so 'top-tier'
institutions.[74] |
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