The US education system covers elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. Education in the US is governed by the federal government, under the US Department of Education. All states provide universal, free elementary and secondary schooling for 12 years.
Types: Elementary: Children usually enter kindergarten at age 5. Elementary school generally includes grades 1 through 5, and students then go straight into the secondary system.
Secondary: Secondary school--most often called high school--typically includes grades 6 through 12. Secondary education in the US is typically divided into middle school (grades 6/7/8) or junior high schools (grades7/8/9) and then high school (grades 9 through 12).
Post-secondary: Post-secondary education includes career college (also known as vocational school), community college, university and graduate school.
Language programs: Language programs (English as a second language or ESL) are offered at middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities and private language schools.
Public and private: The US education system includes public schools, which are free and funded by the government, and private schools, for which students have to pay. At the post-secondary level, public colleges and universities (also known as state colleges) still require students to pay tuition, but it is substantially less than tuition at private universities.
Religious and secular: There are people of all faiths in the US, and there are many schools that offer faith-based education, whether Catholic, Christian (protestant) or Jewish. As well, many schools are completely secular and have no faith-affiliation whatsoever.
You can read more on these and other school types elsewhere in this section of the website.
Worcester State College Graduate and Continuing Education Office Established in 1874, Worcester State College (the College) is a public, four-year, metropolitan academic institution serving the needs of over ...
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