Education
Across the world and for many years, students and parents have recognized the benefits of obtaining a US education. The best accredited US programs at every level offer an approach to education that encourages students to develop their own capacity and passion for learning with the support of cutting-edge instructional resources and facilities. Graduates of such programs emerge not only with job-ready skills but also with a foundation for learning and success that serves them their whole lifetimes.
Some of the hallmarks of the US education system are:
Quality: Across the range of American schools, from Ivy-league to smaller colleges and vocational schools, students can find programs taught by leading experts in their field – experts in the US and often the world. Such experts have a natural inclination toward best-in-class research and practical applications of knowledge, both of which encourage rich learning experiences for students.
Variety: The US education system has often been said to be the most diverse in the world, in terms of:
• Size of the student population (from only a few hundred to tens of thousands of students);
• Admissions criteria (from highly competitive to completely open);
• Setting (from world-famous metropolises to lovely small-town campuses, and from desert-hot to northern climates);
• Programs (in terms of duration and field of study, as well as approach, i.e., vocational to academic);
• Delivery (from physical campuses to blended delivery models and entirely online programs);
• Culture (from rigorous and specific academic programs to arts-focused, sports-intensive, or technically oriented programs).
Student-centered: The American school system, like US values in general, is centered on a belief in individualism, personal growth, and the opportunity for anyone – regardless of race, class, or other differences – to achieve a quality education. From an early age, students are encouraged to voice their opinions and to participate actively in their learning. They receive a broad-based education from the day they first enter school as children to high school and even into the first years of college. Extra-curricular activities and social skills are prioritized alongside academics.
Well-rounded: Students are viewed as individual human beings most of all, and while grades are important, American educators strongly believe that students being active in social, sports, and cultural activities are crucial to their well-being and eventual success in their lives and careers.
There are over 4,000 accredited colleges and universities in the US, ranging from large research universities to small private colleges, state universities, community colleges, and specialized and technical institutions. Many US universities are ranked among the world’s best, consistently dominating the top tier of global rankings. The 2020/21 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed 14 US universities in the top 20. And 15 universities in the ARWU top 20 (Shanghai Jiaotong University) World University Rankings are American. Dozens more American universities place in these ranking systems’ top 100 universities.
Culturally, Americans describe themselves in a very diverse way: through art, ethnicity, faith, work and play, home and community. Native Americans and immigrants have introduced their traditions to the United States, creating a multicultural society. Each region of America has its own identity, characterized by a specific diet, history, attitude and culture. Every year, this variety is celebrated through large and small, national and local events and celebrations, including Shinko de Mayo, Martin Luther King’s Day, and Chinese New Year.
Native Americans – also known as immigrants – are the main inhabitants of the United States. They spoke hundreds of languages and developed their societies. The area that was meant to become the United States remained largely unknown to the rest of the world until Christopher Columbus set out in 1492 seeking a sea route to Asia. Although the Italian explorer, who never actually saw the Americas, landed in what is now called the Bahamas, Columbus is credited with exploring, inhabiting, and exchanging America. Eventually, 13 different colonies developed on the northeastern coast of the United States. They soon came under British control and remained so until the independence war against Britain during the American Revolution of the 18th century.
Since its inception, the United States has been an innovative nation, guided by ideas, traditions, and talents that promote science, technology, the arts, and other fields. From Thomas Edison, the inventor of the incandescent light bulb in the 19th century, to Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Americans are known for their inventions and creations. A new study by researchers at the University of Toronto has ranked the United States in the top three most creative countries in the world.
