The American university system is justly regarded as one of the best in the world. The combination of huge choice and top quality makes the USA the world's most popular destination for degree-level study.
15 of the world’s top 20* universities are based in America - including Harvard, MIT , Princeton, Stanford and Berkeley — with all of the top 5 coming from the USA . International students need to understand the American education system to make informed choices about their options and pathways to degree success.
* Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Private and Public Institutions
The American Academic Year
Choosing your Major
Assessment and Grading
The Credit System
Private and Public Institutions
In America, there are both private and public universities. With Kings you have access to both.
Private Universities tend to offer more facilities and greater levels of
personalized student/faculty interaction, but are usually more expensive.
Public Universities and Community Colleges are state-run. They are
usually larger, offering more study options and are less expensive.
Typically U.S. Undergraduate degrees require 4 years of full-time study.
The academic year normally runs for nine months, with two semesters per year. The Fall semester runs from August/ September to December and the Spring Semester from January to June. Most of our university partners allow you to start at either the Fall or Spring semesters.
Some universities also run a “Quarter System” (fall, winter, spring, summer). An academic year comprises any three quarters, which are usually around 10
weeks long, plus final examinations.
The main program you study at university is your Major.
Making a choice
Our expert counselors will help you decide on your Major, either before you
apply or even during your first two years at university. They will work with you to choose your Major based on your academic strengths, your personal
interests and your career goals.
Choosing Subjects
It can be useful to know what subjects you want to specialize in so that your choice can be narrowed to the universities which offer Majors in your chosen subjects.
Liberal Arts Universities
At Liberal Arts universities the first two years are spent studying a broad range of subjects before you specialize in your Major. This means you still have time to make the right decision.
Academic assessment is continuous throughout your degree program.
The University faculty will assess factors including written assignments, class
attendance and participation, presentations or work in the laboratory.
You will normally also sit examinations at the end of each semester.
Each course you study will earn academic credits. There are usually 3-4 credits per course. You will normally be expected to complete 120—130 credit hours to complete an Undergraduate degree.
Grade Point Average and Progression
To progress from one year to the next you need to be considered in academic good standing. This is usually measured as a Grade Point Average (GPA). You will usually need to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 to progress to the next academic year. The table shows some of the grading levels and equivalents.
