post secondary education in the usa

The Future of Post-Secondary Education in the US

Exploring the impact of 50 years of change, and potential futures for post-secondary education

Education Intelligence Unit

250,000 fewer High School graduates from 2025 to 2030, increased online and hybrid learning, and a sharp rise in non-degree credentials mean big changes for US post-secondary education.

HolonIQ recently partnered with the American Council on Education (ACE) to review 50 years of change in the Carnegie Classification , situating decades of data in the broader context of US education, sometimes as far back as 1870. From high school graduates and women’s participation in higher education to evolving learning modalities and labor market shifts, change has been both fast and slow. Forecasts suggest that some of the biggest changes for higher education institutions are still to come.  

Looking back to the 1970s when development of the Carnegie Classification began, women made up approximately 20% of enrollments in US higher education. Today, women represent nearly 60% of total enrollments, broadly in line with the global average. In terms of race and ethnicity, over 85% of US college students were white in the mid-1970s, with college populations becoming gradually more diverse with each decade. Today, just over 50% of college enrollments come from white students, with the biggest growth in Hispanic students, who make up over 20% of enrollments and are forecast to grow as we approach 2030. 

Stretching back further, the growth of high school graduates over the last 150 years has been remarkable, and graduation numbers are set to increase up until 2025. From there, however, forecasts point to a decline of around 250,000 high school graduates between 2025 and 2030, with graduation numbers returning to around 2015 levels - essentially 15 years of lost growth. This has implications not only for universities, but for the broader workforce too.

Learning modalities may not have changed a great deal through the 20th century, but the last 10-20 years have ushered in new forms of learning and innovation, fast becoming the norm in some institutions. Transformation was already underway before the COVID-19 pandemic, with on-campus enrollments in higher education declining by around 10% since 2012 in favor of online and hybrid modes. Following the rapid shift to ‘emergency remote teaching’ during the pandemic, on-campus enrollments fell to less than 30% and have not returned to pre-COVID levels. With online and hybrid modes now becoming the dominant modes, the decline of purely on-campus learning is forecast to continue.

Adding to the changing landscape is the international student population. The US has long been a popular destination for international students, with the last decade showing huge growth from China and more recently, India. Despite losing some market share to popular destinations Canada, Australia and the UK, 1.2m international students are forecast in the US by 2030 , with India set to overtake China as the dominant cohort.

Skills and credentials have also been a much-debated topic in higher education over the last few years, with increasing pressure on institutions to respond to skills shortages and calls from industry for universities to align learning more effectively with emerging technologies and workforce needs. Unsurprisingly, there has been huge change in the US since the 1970s in terms of sectoral and labor market shifts. In 1973, the biggest industry by far was manufacturing (18.6m employed) followed by trade, transportation and utilities (15.3m); in 2023, manufacturing has shrunk to 13m, and whilst trade, transportation and utilities has almost doubled to 28.9m, the biggest growth has been seen in private education and health services, which grew almost 5x over this period to become the second largest workforce in the US (25m). 

Looking ahead, the fastest growing occupations that require a bachelor's degree or higher are in health: Medical & Health Service Managers (28% growth) and Nurse practitioners (40% growth). Also set to grow, but from a smaller base, are STEM-related occupations including web developers (30%), Information Security Analysts (35%) and Data Scientists (36%).

At the same time, there are clear emerging signals that non-degree credentials are on the rise, and are estimated to be the most conferred award in US Higher Education in the next 10 years. 

The wage premium demanded by a bachelor’s degree may have reached its peak already; between 2019 and 2022, the percentage of potential students planning to pursue a non-degree program grew from 34% to 47%. In the workforce, 81% of employers think they should look at skills rather than degrees when hiring. 86% of students believe an industry certificate will help them stand out to employers when they graduate.

Billions of dollars in funding is now powering alternative credentials, with $25B in private capital allocated to ‘new’ models of learning and upskilling in the past 10 years, over two-thirds of this in Upskilling, 21% in Bootcamps and 10% in MOOCs. There has been a 211% increase in issued badges over the last 4 years, with 75m digital badges issued globally. University leaders see alternative and micro-credentialing as an important strategy for their institution’s future, with increasing numbers putting policies in place and 95% expecting micro-credentials to be integrated into most degree programs in the future.

The Carnegie Classification: Fifty Years of Change in US Higher Education was held live at the American Council on Education's Annual Meeting in Washington DC followed by a panel of experts about how the expanded Carnegie Classification categories will impact higher education and advance social and economic mobility. Ted Mitchell, President of ACE, Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, and Maria Spies, Co-CEO of HolonIQ joined a panel discussion moderated by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification systems to reflect on the presentation and discuss the future of Higher Education in the US and how the Carnegie Classification needs to consider these changes.

In this recent webinar , Maria Spies, Co-CEO HolonIQ and Hironao Okahana, Assistant Vice President & Executive Director of the Education Futures Lab at the American Council on Education shared a follow-up presentation covering the data and in conversation on the future of Post Secondary Education in the United States. Watch on-demand .

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The Postsecondary Education Conundrum

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, cecilia elena rouse cecilia elena rouse @ceciliaerouse.

June 5, 2013

Postsecondary education in the United States faces a conundrum: Can we preserve access, help students learn more and finish their degrees sooner and more often, and keep college affordable for families, all at the same time? And can the higher education reforms currently most in vogue—expanding the use of technology and making colleges more accountable—help us do these things?

Since the 1960s, colleges and universities have worked hard to increase access to higher education. Fifty years ago, with the industrial economy booming—as Sandy Baum, Charles Kurose, and Michael McPherson write in the latest issue of the Future of Children —only 45 percent of young people went to college when they graduated from high school. Today, they note, at least 70 percent enroll in some form of postsecondary education. Women, who once accounted for little more than a third of the college population, now outnumber men on campus, and minorities and the poor have also seen many barriers to a college education fall. Certainly, we still have work to do—for example, advantaged children are still much more likely than children living in poverty to go to college, and to attend elite institutions when they do. Yet the gains in access have been remarkable.

Over the past decade, critics have increasingly questioned the quality of college education in the U.S. In particular, they have pointed to low completion rates—only about half of the people who enroll at a postsecondary institution complete a degree or certificate within six years. Yes, there are many reasons that students attend such institutions, but even among those who report that they aspire to earn at least a bachelor’s degree, only about 36 percent do so.

Most recently, the loudest debates in higher education have been about cost. When people talk about the cost of postsecondary education, they usually mean tuition. The most alarming recent increases have been in the “sticker price,” or the published cost of attending an institution. Sticker prices for full-time in-state students at public four-year colleges and universities increased 27.2 percent between 2007 and 2012, according to the College Board. But only about one-third of full-time students pay the sticker price; the other two-thirds of full-time students pay the “net price,” which is the sticker price minus grants and other forms of aid. On average, the net price is 70 percent less than the sticker price. Even so, the net price of college has also increased steeply, by 18 percent over the same five years.

Many people take the sharp rise in tuition costs as evidence that institutions of higher education are inefficient and growing more so—in other words, that colleges and universities are spending more and more money to deliver the same education. They argue that if we aggressively adopt technology and strengthen accountability, we can make colleges and universities more efficient, whether that means providing the same education for less money, or a better education for the same cost.

But, in truth, tuition—whether we’re talking about sticker price or net price—doesn’t really tell us how much a college education costs. As McPherson, who is president of the Spencer Foundation, pointed out recently at a conference at Princeton, an institution’s total expenditure per student is a much better measure of the cost of a college education. Based on 2012 data from the College Board, expenditures per student, especially at public institutions, have been relatively flat over the past decade, increasing by about 6.4 percent at four-year public institutions and actually decreasing at two-year public institutions. Tuition itself accounts for only a part of the total expenditure per student. At public institutions in particular, the rest is made up largely by state subsidies. What has changed in recent years is that state subsidies have fallen precipitously, meaning that parents and students are shouldering more of the cost through rising tuition payments. From 2000 to 2010, the portion of total expenditures covered by tuition at public institutions went from just over one-third to just over one-half, with subsidies falling accordingly. If we look at the cost of college this way, it’s unlikely that growing inefficiency is the main problem facing institutions of higher education; in fact, they are educating more students than ever and doing so at roughly the same cost per student. Nonetheless, few people expect state subsidies to rebound to their former levels. If college is to remain affordable, state institutions must seek ways to lower their cost per student so that they can keep tuition in check.

What are the prospects, then, that technology and accountability can help us rein in the rate of growth in tuition? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t clear.

Policymakers like to focus on advances in technology as a solution for the tuition crisis because a major component underlying the cost of a postsecondary education is the cost of paying the faculty. As long as the wages that faculty members could earn in other parts of the economy continue to increase, there will be upward pressure on the cost of educating students. But if we could use advanced technology to let each faculty member teach more students, we could lower the cost of a college education. However, no one wants such an increase in productivity to reduce the quality of the education that students receive. Therefore, if technology is to help us solve higher education’s quandary, it must provide education at a lower cost without lowering its quality.

We have scant evidence of whether e-learning is comparable in quality to traditional classroom instruction. However,  the best research so far suggests that in large lecture classes, at least, especially those that cover introductory material in some subjects, students learn just as well online as they do in “chalk and talk” classes. We know even less about the long-term cost of teaching in this way. On the one hand, once we pay the start-up and transition costs associated with adopting new technology and training faculty how to use it, the cost per student is likely to fall because faculty will be able to teach more students in larger classes. On the other hand, the best evidence about technology comes from its use in large lecture classes; we know much less about its effectiveness in smaller, typically more advanced courses, which are more expensive to teach by definition. We also have virtually no evidence about technology’s effectiveness in some disciplines, particularly the humanities. If technology can’t deliver the same education that students get in the classroom, what may look like a decrease in cost may actually be a decrease in quality. Thus before we know whether widespread adoption of technological tools is truly a promising approach to reducing the cost of a college education, we need more and better evidence about how these tools affect student learning, in which settings and for whom they work best, and how much they cost to implement and maintain.

Accountability

Policymakers are also talking about accountability as a way out of the postsecondary conundrum. Most public institutions receive state subsidies based on the number of students they enroll. Enrollment-based funding gives these colleges and universities a huge incentive to increase access, but far less incentive to boost completion rates and other measures of student success. On the heels of the movement to increase accountability in K-12 education, a lot of people, including President Obama, have been calling to make colleges and universities more accountable, most notably by tying some portion of state or federal funding to student completion or other measures of success—for example, how many graduates find jobs. Many states have already tried this, but the results have been disappointing (though it must be said, as Davis Jenkins and Olga Rodriguez write in the Future of Children , that much of the research on performance funding thus far has been qualitative rather than quantitative). One reason that performance funding hasn’t worked well may be that the percentage of aid that states have tied to performance has been quite low, meaning that institutions have had little to lose if they fail to meet performance targets. As a result, some reformers are calling for an even stronger connection between funding and accountability. Fair enough, and probably worth a try, but the bottom line is that we have yet to find solid evidence that tying appropriations to student success will produce the results we desire. And caution is in order: Unless such an approach is implemented and monitored carefully, it will create a perverse incentive for institutions to restrict admission to the students who are most likely to do well, thus potentially reversing the gains in access that we’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Despite the caveats I’ve presented here, I believe that both technology and accountability have their place in any effort to solve the postsecondary conundrum.

In the case of new technological tools to expand teaching productivity, we need to carefully study their effect on student learning, institutional stability, educational quality, and cost. It’s going to take some tinkering to build new models of technology-supported teaching that work as well as or better than a traditional classroom education, and we should not hesitate either to try promising approaches or to abandon those that fail to make the grade.

When it comes to imposing stronger accountability, we need comprehensive data systems and other ways to gather information that will give us a clearer, more scientifically sound picture of institutional performance than do the rough measures we use now, such as completion rates. Furthermore, measures of quality should never be the only criteria through which we reward or punish postsecondary institutions, not only because expanding access must remain a priority, but also because it is extremely unlikely that we will ever be able to capture all of postsecondary education’s beneficial outcomes through large-scale data. 

In the end, however, technology and accountability alone will not solve the postsecondary conundrum. As tuition costs rise, parents and prospective students are starting to question the value of the postsecondary institutions they’re considering, seeking better information about quality and completion rates, and making decisions based on hard financial realities. This kind of pressure from prospective students and their families is likely to be the most effective incentive of all.

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American Education and Higher Ed System: The US Higher Education System Explained

US colleges and universities offer life-changing opportunities for international students. Our definitive guide to higher education in the USA answers all your questions.

If you want to study abroad in America, understanding the US higher education system is vital. Whether you plan to get a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree from one of the many universities in the USA, it is important to learn how it works.

Read on to make the most of your opportunity to pursue post-secondary education in the United States.

What Is the Structure of the US Higher Education System?

As an international student, you may be wondering how colleges and universities fit into the larger US higher education system. Students in America are required to go to school between the ages of six and 18 in what are called grades, which run from first through 12th. (There is also an earlier option, called kindergarten, for the year before first grade, but it is not mandatory in most US states.)

Primary, or elementary, education lasts until fifth grade, middle school or junior high school covers sixth through eighth grade, followed by secondary education in ninth through 12th grades. Secondary education can cover both college-preparatory curriculum or vocational training.

After 12th grade, students have two options for post-secondary education: vocational training (typically a year or two, designed for immediate employment in a trade) or higher education (typically a two-year associate’s degree or four-year bachelor’s degree in an academic program). 

For international students in British-style education systems, you may have had 13 years of education before entering post-secondary studies. Other countries may only have 11 years of pre-university level studies. Typically, for students enrolled in post-secondary education in the United States, US colleges and universities require 12 years of education.

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What Are the Different Types of Higher Education Institutions in the US?

College vs. university.

In many countries, post-secondary institutions are called universities. However, in the US, the words college and university are often used interchangeably . Some are even called institutes (e.g., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology). Within larger universities in the United States, there are different colleges or schools that represent different academic areas of study (e.g., College of Engineering, School of Business).

State Colleges and Private Colleges

Depending on where you are from, the best colleges or universities may be public or run by the national or regional/state government. But in the United States, the federal government does not manage any college or university. Instead, the governments of the individual 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other US territories have the authority to operate, fund, and (in some respects) control public colleges and universities within their boundaries. 

Alternatively, private colleges can operate on their own, without direct control from state or national governments. For instance, hundreds of private colleges in the US were founded by religious denominations or churches, such as the University of Dayton (affiliated with the Catholic church) and the University of the Pacific (a Methodist university). 

According the National Center of Education Statistics , in 2022 there were 5,916 post-secondary colleges and universities in the United States: 1,892 public, 1,754 private, and 2,270 for-profit. Among the top 20 US universities with the most international students (according to the 2022 Open Doors Fast Facts report ), 13 are public and seven are private. So, remember: quality is not determined by whether a college or university is public or private. 

Tech Colleges and Community Colleges

While most international students come to the United States for academic programs, some students enroll in technical or vocational colleges designed for job training, like flight school or air traffic control programs. 

Additionally, another option in American post-secondary education is community college. Community colleges offer low-cost education in local communities and provide workforce preparation or credits toward completing a bachelor’s degree. According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), there are almost “1,200 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions and more than 12 million students” enrolled in these colleges. Approximately 100,000 international students currently attend community colleges in the United States.

What Are the Different Education Levels and Degree Types at US Colleges and Universities?

Undergraduate .

Undergraduate studies can start immediately after secondary school. There are two main options: a two-year associate’s degree and a four-year bachelor’s degree. 

Generally, associate’s degrees are granted at two-year US community colleges, while bachelor’s degrees are awarded from four-year colleges and universities. In both cases, students choose a focus for their academic studies called a major . In addition to courses in a major, students take required core curriculum or general education classes that develop critical thinking and communication skills.

Graduate studies are only available to students who have completed a bachelor’s degree. In many countries, graduate studies are called post-graduate studies and can take up to five years or more. In the US, the term post-graduate studies can refer to work after a master’s degree program, including studies for a doctoral degree. 

International students who have finished bachelor’s degrees in their home countries, the United States, or third countries have two options for graduate studies in the United States: master’s and doctorate (or doctoral) degrees. 

Master’s degrees can require one to two years of study. In the final term of most master’s programs, students must complete a thesis (a large, well-documented essay) or a project before they will be awarded the master’s degree.

The length of doctorate programs will depend on two things: 

whether students must first complete a master’s degree in a related field, and

how long it takes to complete a dissertation

Generally, if you have finished a master’s degree and are then admitted to a doctoral program, the coursework will take two to three years. After finishing doctoral classes, you typically begin work on a dissertation or research paper/project that serves as the focus of your degree studies. With any paper or project, a faculty member will serve as a director or adviser.

In addition to these degree programs, international students may take various other continuing education or certification courses. Some are in addition to degree studies, while others may count toward meeting licensing requirements to work in certain fields. 

What Should I Know About Courses of Study and Choosing a Major?

The US education system is designed to teach life skills that will serve students well, no matter which career they choose after graduation. So, students enrolled in colleges or universities will take a variety of courses in order to get a degree. 

For many international students, taking courses outside their intended academic field of study is a foreign concept. But US colleges and universities value liberal arts classes in subjects like history, English literature, and foreign language as well as mathematics, social, and natural sciences. These courses are considered important foundations for critical thinking, logical thought, and communications skills.

Majors, Minors, and Concentrations

When starting college or university, international students should not expect to have more than half their total classes in their intended major. Majors represent what students are most interested in learning to prepare for a career in a related field of study or to go on to graduate school. 

Minors are other academic focus areas in addition to a major, and typically require half as many classes as a major.  

Concentrations are specializations within a given major that allow students to explore a more specific area of study. For example, at the University of South Carolina , the department of history offers regional concentrations (i.e., Latin America, Middle East/North Africa, etc.) as well as 13 different subject areas such as political history, history of slavery, or history of religion. 

BA vs BS vs BFA Degrees

When it comes to bachelor’s degrees in the United States , the three most common are BA (bachelor of arts), BS (bachelor of science), and BFA (bachelor of fine arts). BA degrees focus on liberal arts majors in humanities and social sciences, while BS degrees cover business, math, sciences, engineering, health sciences, and other tech fields. BFA degrees align with the creative arts, such as music or dance.

Accreditation

International students may wonder which US colleges and universities are government-approved. Remember, in America, there is no Ministry of Higher Education, and the federal government does not determine which colleges or universities may operate. 

In the US education system, there are six regional accreditation groups that enable nearly all public and private nonprofit colleges and universities to operate. (Most for-profit private colleges are accredited by national accrediting groups.) Within each institution, there may be several academic programs that also have a national program accreditor as well (e.g., ABET , which focuses on the quality of science, technology, engineering, and math — or STEM — programs). Program accreditations are signs of academic quality as well. 

To research the accreditations of the US colleges you are considering, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s online database . When in doubt, only choose accredited US colleges and universities for your academic studies.

As international students, you also will need to check that these universities and colleges are legally able to enroll students who want to study abroad in the USA. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires all US colleges and universities to apply for certification (and recertification every two years) in order to issue the I-20 forms that international students use to apply for student visas . You can research certified colleges on the DHS website  or use the Shorelight School Match tool .

What Do I Need to Know About College Applications and Applying to University in the USA?

When applying to US colleges and universities, be ready for a fairly complex, lengthy, and sometimes confusing process. But with the right approach and appropriate guidance, you can find the right place that meets your needs. (Check out our How to Study in the USA article for all the specifics.) 

College Application Forms

While most colleges have their own application forms online, prospective undergraduate international students may also be able to use the Common Application to apply to one (or more) of nearly 900 US colleges and universities. If you are applying to Shorelight universities, you can use one online application to apply to multiple institutions for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Whichever form you use, be aware that each college sets its own application deadlines. Additionally, beyond an application form, each university or college will have its own required application checklist .

Standardized Tests

International student applicants will need to take at least one type of test to determine English proficiency (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, Duolingo, iTEP). SAT or ACT test scores may be required for undergraduate students, while graduate programs may need a GRE or GMAT score to submit an application. Ask in advance: a growing number of undergraduate colleges and graduate departments are now test-optional (including Shorelight universities) when it comes to SAT/ACT or GRE/GMAT. 

Academic Records

For most colleges in the US education system, your academic records (translated into English) will be the most important piece of the evaluation process. For undergraduate applicants, that means submitting transcripts from every institution you have previously attended: your complete secondary school academic transcripts, external exams, and (for transfer students) any prior colleges or universities. For graduate applicants, it means submitting official copies of undergraduate (and any graduate) degree transcripts of coursework taken. 

Essay and Recommendations

More selective colleges and universities will require an essay (for undergraduate applicants) or statement of purpose (for graduate applicants) and letters of recommendation . Essay topics can be as broad as “What do you want to do with your life?” or as specific as “What event has had the biggest impact on you?” Letters of recommendation should be written by someone who has either taught you in a class and can speak to your academic abilities, or by an advisor who can provide a more well-rounded perspective on the kind of person you are.

Whichever path you choose, the college application process is not meant to be done alone. A dedicated college guidance counselor or advisor can assist you through the college admissions process.

How Do Transfer Credits Work?

If you have already done some undergraduate coursework, you may be considered a transfer student , and this can change application requirements for study in the US. 

Transfer students have a slightly different application process, especially with standardized test requirements and deadlines. Some colleges and universities may only take transfer undergraduate or graduate applicants for the fall term, while others let transfer students start in spring or even summer. 

The classes you have already taken may count toward your bachelor’s degree requirements. These are called transfer credits . Transfer programs at US colleges and universities are designed for students who have not taken more than two years of study and, at many colleges, no more than two years of course credit can be applied toward fulfilling degree requirements. 

How Is the Academic Year Set Up in the USA?

Semesters, trimesters, quarters.

In the American education system, the academic year typically begins in August or September. Depending on the university, the academic year may be divided into quarters, trimesters, or semesters, and will run until May or June. For colleges that follow semesters, the fall term runs from late August or early September to mid-December, and the spring semester runs from January through May.

When to Apply

For new international undergraduate students considering US colleges and universities, applications are generally accepted as early as a year before the academic term you wish to join. For example, if you want to start at the University of Illinois Chicago in late August 2023, you could have applied for admission as early as September 2022. 

While many selective universities in the USA have regular admissions application deadlines in January or February, some colleges also offer early decision or early action deadlines in November. These earlier deadlines give students the chance to get a decision as far in advance as possible, although it often requires a commitment to enroll if admitted. Other colleges have rolling admissions policies and will accept applications throughout the year for the next academic term (or year).

Typically, early decision or early action applicants find out if they are accepted within a month of the submission deadline. For January or February application deadlines, students will learn if they are admitted in March or early April. International students who apply to rolling admissions colleges, like many of the Shorelight partner universities, generally find out as early as a few days to three to four weeks. 

How to Enroll

After admission, you will be told what your next steps are to accept an offer from a college or university. Many American universities will set a deadline date for admitted students to send in their deposit (the amount varies by college) to hold their place for the next academic year.

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What is the Classroom Experience Like in the US?

The undergrad classroom.

In US colleges, class sizes can be as large as 400 students in an auditorium or as small as four students around a table. At larger state universities, you will likely find big class sizes in the first two years of study. At liberal arts colleges, smaller class sizes (10 to 20 students) are standard. Colleges and universities must list on their websites their average student-to-faculty ratio (i.e., how many students are on campus for every faculty member and the average class size), so you can easily get a sense of the class sizes at the colleges that interest you.

For instruction , professors and academic experts typically teach college classes. Teaching assistants (often graduate students working for a professor) may teach large lecture classes or smaller lab or discussion sections. In addition to teaching staff, you will have either an academic advisor or faculty advisor (once you declare an academic major) who will help you choose classes and make sure you are on track for graduation.

On the first day of each class at the beginning of an academic term, students receive a syllabus from the professor or instructor, which covers what students can expect during the course — all the scheduled quizzes, tests, papers, and final exam requirements. Additionally, the syllabus will list the required textbooks and the reading that must be done for each class meeting. In many classes, the syllabus will also break down what percentage of your course grade comes from papers, quizzes, tests, group projects, mid-term and final exams, and even classroom participation. (That’s right — in many courses your grade is impacted by your involvement in discussions!)

Campus Jobs and Co-ops

Once you are settled, you may want to explore the opportunity to work on campus. Legally, as F-1 student visa holders, if there are jobs on campus available for international students, you can work up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session and up to 40 hours per week during vacation periods. 

As you progress into your academic major, there may be internships , co-ops, or other work options off campus in jobs related to your program. Keep an eye out for these opportunities and be sure to bring this topic up with your academic/faculty advisor and also with your international student advisor, as there are immigration regulations that you will need to be familiar with and permission you will need to receive before working off campus. Many of these internships or co-ops may also offer credits toward your degree studies.

The Grad Student Experience

For graduate students, similar classroom and work rules apply for both master’s degree and doctorate coursework. Graduate students will have a required master’s thesis/project or doctoral dissertation at the end of a graduate program. These could take anywhere from a few months for a master’s thesis to two or more years for a dissertation.

What Is the Grading System at US Colleges and Universities?

Most US colleges use a combination of a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) scale and a letter grading system from A to F. Grades often look like: 

A = 4.0 Best

F = 0.0 Worst

Many American universities will also use different categories — A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F — and the +/- will have a different value on the 4.0 scale (e.g., A- = 3.7, B+ 3.3). Some universities offer classes with Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades, but these will not impact a student’s GPA. 

Students usually take between three and six classes each academic term, and each class is given a certain number of academic credits. As long as you pass a course (i.e., a D grade or better) you will get full credit for that course. 

Most university classes are worth between three and five credits. The number of credits per class varies by the hours of instruction each week. For example, if you have a course that meets a total of three hours a week over the course of a 16-week semester, that course will typically be worth three credit hours. If you have three hours of instruction plus an hour lab section each week, the course will likely be a four-credit class.

So, over one semester, let’s say you have five classes worth three credits each. If you pass each course, you will receive 15 credits. If, over eight semesters (or four academic years), you took that same number of credits each term and passed each class, you would have 120 credits and the end of your program. Most bachelor’s degrees require 120 to 133 credits, depending on the field of study.

How Successful Are International Students Studying in the USA?

More international students choose to study in the USA than in any other country. According to the Institute of International Education (IIE) 2022 Open Doors Report , foreign students make up 4.7% of all college students in the US, and nearly one million students from overseas studied at American colleges and universities. 

For international students who complete degrees in the United States, roughly 60-65% choose to stay in the US for work opportunities. For F-1 student visa holders, that means one to three years of potential paid employment in your field of study, depending on your major. This work permission is called Optional Practical Training (OPT) . If you enroll in a STEM major, you can have three years of OPT for each degree level (bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral) you complete in the United States. Of the million-plus international students in the United States in the 2018-19 academic year, more than 20% were in OPT.

A 2017 international student satisfaction survey from World Education Services revealed that 92% of current international students and 89% of recent alumni believe their US education was a good investment, and 85% of students and 88% of alumni feel positive about their career prospects.

US Education System Terms to Know: A US Colleges and Universities Glossary

Academic credits: the unit of measure for a student’s progress toward graduation. A typical university-level bachelor’s degree class is worth three credits. Normally, to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, students need to earn between 120 and 133 credits, which equals 40 to 44 classes.

Accreditation: six regional and dozens of program-specific groups, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, that permit colleges to operate as educational institutions.

Associate degree: the first academic degree possible after completing secondary school. This two-year degree program has an academic focus in one area with a number of other classes in the liberal arts. Associate degrees are normally completed at two-year community colleges.

Bachelor’s degree : typically a four-year degree completed at post-secondary colleges and universities.

College: a post-secondary institution in the United States. It can be a two-year institution for either academic or vocational studies or a four-year academic institution. Within universities, the academic divisions may be called colleges (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, etc.).

Community college: a two-year post-secondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degree programs.

Doctoral degree: often called a PhD (doctor of philosophy) or EdD (doctor of education), this is the highest academic level of study offered in the United States. Doctoral programs are available to students who have either completed a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in a related subject. The length of the program depends on whether students already have a master’s before entry and the time it takes after completion of coursework to write a required dissertation (between one and four years).

GPA: the academic grade point average students receive from their various classes taken in college or university. Generally, students are graded in each course on a 4.0 scale (4 being high, 0 low). In the US education system, a 4.0 GPA equals an A, 3.0 is a B, 2.0 is a C, 1.0 is a D, and 0.0 is an F.

Graduate studies: academic programs that start after completing a four-year undergraduate degree and generally lead to master’s or doctorate degrees.

Liberal arts: areas of study covering humanities subjects like history, English literature, foreign language, mathematics, social studies, and natural sciences.

Liberal arts college: post-secondary institutions that focus primarily on academic programs in the humanities and social sciences.

Major: the primary focus of an undergraduate student’s degree studies. Majors are similar to the term “course of study” for international students. In US colleges and universities, the major represents anywhere from 33-50% of the total number of classes a student takes to graduate.

Master’s degree: normally a one- to two-year graduate study degree with an intensive focus in a particular academic subject. A master’s thesis or project is often required.

Quarter: An academic calendar variation that divides the year into four 10-week-long periods, with only three required (fall, winter, spring).

School: a US institution that educates students; often refers to places with K-12 learners. Within colleges and universities, “schools” can be considered a sub-division of a university’s academic areas (e.g., School of Engineering, School of Business). It can also be used as a slang term (e.g., “How many schools are you applying to?”).

Semester: a common measurement for an academic term. Typically, colleges and universities have two semesters (fall and spring) in a required academic year. Each semester is approximately 16 weeks long. Many universities also offer a summer semester for students who do not start in fall or for those who may want or need to take additional courses to accelerate or stay on track with their academic programs.

State university: a public four-year institution, funded in part by the state in which it is located. Public state universities tend to have large student body sizes.

Transfer credits: credits for students who have already completed some academic work at a different university that is then applied toward a degree program at a new university where the student is enrolled.

Trimester: an academic calendar that follows three terms – fall, winter, and spring. Each trimester is 12 to 13 weeks long.

Undergraduate studies: the first level of academic studies students take after completing secondary school. Undergraduate studies lead to either associate’s or bachelor’s degrees.

University: a four-year post-secondary educational institution. These institutions can offer all levels of post-secondary degrees (associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate).

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What Is Post-Secondary Education In The USA: Meaning, Purpose, Types & More

Higher education has become an important part of many people’s lives. It gives people the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills to help them in their careers and lives. Hence, many people feel excited and ready to begin their post-secondary education journey.

This is great news because it means plenty of options for students to get the education they need to succeed in today’s economy. However, post-secondary education in the USA is also a major challenge. 

In this article, you’ll learn more about post-secondary education, the challenges, the types of post-secondary education available, and some of the benefits of pursuing a degree.

Let’s get started.

What is a post-secondary education?

Higher education has long been the key to success in the United States. It allows students to pursue their dreams, connect with others, and gain valuable knowledge and skills. 

And thanks to post-secondary education offered by colleges and universities, millions of people have achieved their goals.

Post-secondary education (also known as tertiary education) is a type of schooling that typically happens after high school. It offers specialized training in a variety of subjects, as well as opportunities for on-the-job experience.  

Post-secondary education provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career or further their education. 

Many post-secondary institutions offer a variety of courses and programs that can help students find a path in life.

What are the major benefits of post-secondary education in the USA?

Post-secondary education in the USA is one of the best investments you can make in your future. 

Post-secondary education has many benefits, whether a 4-year degree, a 2-year diploma, or a trade school program. Here are just some of them: 

• A chance to learn and grow in an environment that stimulates and supports your intellectual growth
• Develop strong personal relationships with your peers, professors, and mentors
• The opportunity to gain lifelong learning and knowledge will be valuable in any field
• A chance to explore different disciplines and learn new ways of thinking
• Accessing world-class resources can help you achieve your academic and career goals
• A degree from a top university boosts your career prospects and imparts intangible skills and knowledge that are valuable in the workplace

The USA has one of the best post-secondary education in the world. Not only is it a diverse country in terms of colleges and universities, but the quality of education here is unparalleled. 

MPI reports that almost 1.1 million post-secondary education international students were studying in the USA during the 2019-2020 academic year.

The United States offers a unique opportunity for students to explore their interests and learn from some of the world’s top educators.

Differences between a secondary and post-secondary education

There are many differences between secondary and post-secondary education. For one, a post-secondary education consists of a four-year degree, while a secondary school consists of grades 6-12 in the USA. 

Post-secondary education is typically geared toward students who have graduated from high school. In contrast, a secondary school may have students who eventually graduate from high school and others who will not. 

In addition, secondary schools are more lenient with what they expect their students to be able to do. On the other hand, post-secondary institutions require more rigorous courses and assessments throughout the program. 

Types of post-secondary education in the USA

1. Colleges and universities

In the United States, post-secondary education is any type of education a student takes after high school. A college or university is often the most common type of post-secondary institution. 

To attend, you must apply and be accepted to the school you want to attend before enrolling. You’ll need to fill out an application form and pay a fee. 

Colleges and universities offer many different types of programs for students to choose from. A college usually offers certificate and diploma programs. Colleges generally have a more direct career focus when comparing college programs to university programs.

Universities may be either public or private institutions, with major research capabilities, and often focus on graduate study at the doctoral level or beyond.

2. Community colleges

The community college (or junior college) is a public institution that offers two-year associate degree programs. Additionally, they offer vocational and technical programs.

Students at community colleges can earn a diploma in half the time since they only have to complete the general education requirements that colleges require.

Furthermore, community colleges offer students a wide range of courses and are typically less expensive than most universities.

This type of education is ideal for anyone who wants to start with something more affordable and flexible before committing to a major in school or at work.

3. Vocational or technical schools

Vocational and technical schools offer programs in various industries, including healthcare, business management, education, and culinary arts. 

These programs are designed to provide hands-on training and skills that can be put to use immediately after graduation. 

Vocation schools also offer instruction in automotive technology, HVAC installation , plumbing , and electrician training . 

Students who want to learn from some of the best instructors in their field are well advised to enroll in this type of post-secondary education.

Challenges of post-secondary education in the USA 

In the United States, post-secondary education is often the key to success. But despite the ever-growing cost of tuition, only some can afford college. 

It’s no secret that the cost of post-secondary education in America is extraordinarily high. Tuition ranges from $4,000 to $32,000 for public universities and over $50,000 for private universities.

Many students struggle to independently cover tuition, room and board, textbooks, and other expenses. And even if they manage to do so, many are still left with a mountain of debt they must repay throughout their lifetime. 

Fortunately, there are ways to help reduce the burden of tuition costs. First, financial aid options available to students may make it possible for them to attend college without worrying about debt. 

Furthermore, many colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants that can help defray tuition costs. And finally, it may be a good idea to take up some part-time jobs .

Are graduate programs post-secondary education?

Yes , graduate programs are post-secondary education. 

Are there free universities in the USA?

There are free universities in the United States. Many colleges and universities offer a few programs for free, or at low cost, to those who qualify. Examples of such universities are Alice Lloyd College, City University of New York, and Berea College, among others.

Is post-secondary education in the USA worth it?

Yes, it is worth it.  The right education will help you realize your career goals and prepare you for future success.

​​Is there a difference between university and college?

The main difference between a university and a college is that a university provides a broader academic and professional education, while a college offers specialized career or technical education.

Final thoughts

The post-secondary education system in the United States is diverse, with a range of prices and quality. However, there are some key things that all students need to know to make an informed decision about their post-secondary path. 

First and foremost, post-secondary education is a valuable investment – not only for your career prospects but also for your intellectual development. 

Furthermore, paying for quality post-secondary education is worth it – regardless of the school you choose. 

You can find many resources available online to assist you in finding the right school and navigating the admissions process. 

This is true whether you’re looking for scholarships or university rankings or looking for personal recommendations from students. Read the article on prospective students for more information.

You can also read more on the definition and benefits of secondary schools .

Thanks for reading.

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US Education System

US education system is quite similar to that in other countries. It consists of three main stages: primary education (kindergarten and elementary school), secondary education (middle school and high school), and further education (tertiary or higher education).

Compulsory education in the country includes elementary school, middle school, and high school education. It is for children from the age of 5 to the age of 18. The first year of compulsory education is associated with the elementary school, also known in the US as primary school, grade school or grammar school. Elementary education is followed by secondary education. The secondary school in the US is often divided into junior high school (middle school) and senior high school (high school).

Post-secondary education in the US, represented by tertiary education and higher education sectors, is optional. The post-secondary education sector in the US offers a wide range of programs, including non-degree programs that lead to certificates and diplomas and associate, bachelor, first professional, master, advanced intermediate, and research doctorate degrees.

Primary School

Primary education in the US is for children from the age of 5. Its first stage is associated with attending a kindergarten. Elementary school includes grades from K to 6. After elementary school, students have to attend middle or junior high school. Most of the elementary schools in the US are coeducational, which means that classes are mixed boys and girls.

The curriculum of elementary school varies depending on the organization, educational aims of individual schools and local communities. To pass from one grade to another, a student in the US has to gain specified skills. It means that the promotion is based on student’s achievements. Most of the US schools today use testing as a mean of determining whether a child is ready to move to the next grade. There are some exceptional cases when a student is required to repeat a year.

The main aim of the primary education in the US is to provide a child with instruction in the fundamental skills, including reading, writing, mathematics, social studies such as history and geography, crafts, music, science, art and physical education. The last few years of elementary school also include learning foreign languages. Nevertheless, there are some schools and districts where foreign language classes start at the high school only.

Each student of the elementary school in the US is given some homework. It is worth to mention that the amount of homework in the US is much lower in comparison to many other countries. Nevertheless, the amount of homework increases with higher grades.

Successful students of elementary schools in the US can take part in Gifted Education Programs created for those who do not see regular curriculum as challenging.

Secondary School

Depending on a district, secondary school students can attend a middle school until grade 8 before transferring to a senior high school to study until grade 12, or attend a combined junior-senior high school. The same to primary school sector, secondary education in the US is coeducational. It is worth to mention that in comparison to most high schools in the world, high schools in the US are quite larger. Regional high schools in the country often have a population of over 2000 students.

Secondary school curriculum generally includes learning such subjects as English, mathematics, general science, health, physical education and social studies or social sciences. In some high schools, students are tracked for academic subjects and the most successful students have an opportunity to take enriched classes in several academic subjects. Such notion is known as the ‘fast track’. It is interesting to know that the best students can also take some college level classes available at the last two years of high school.

In addition to mandatory subjects mentioned before, each student can choose some optional subjects known as ‘electives’. Those ‘electives’ supplement student’s future education and career plans. For example, students who have plans to go on to college or university elect courses with an emphasis on academic sciences, higher mathematics, advanced English literature, composition, social sciences and foreign languages. Generally, secondary schools offer a wide range of subjects from which students can choose a program which will lead to college or university entrance, as well as a career in business or industry.

Each student in the US receives a high school diploma after the successful completion of the 12th grade. It is worth to mention that the process of graduation is associated with all stages of compulsory education, including even pre-school education. Starting from high school, graduation is associated with ceremonies that celebrate the new stage of student’s life with caps, gowns, diplomas, and speeches by staff and students. Such ceremonies are known in the US as ‘commencements’. Americans are very enthusiastic about life-cycle events and that is why commencements usually mean great celebrations. Nearly every student of American school dreams to be chosen as the ‘valedictorian’. It is considered as an honor for students to give the valedictorian oration or farewell speech at the graduation ceremony.

Post-Secondary Education

After a student completes 12 years of elementary and secondary education, it is possible to go directly to work or to continue the study. All those who want to continue their study have to receive high school diploma or to pass General Education Development tests (GED).

The higher education sector in the USA is represented by such educational institutions as four-year colleges, universities, community colleges, professional institutes, and performing and visual arts schools. It is important to know that post-secondary educational institutions in the US differ from their overseas counterparts in a number of ways. The most notable difference is represented by the grading system. The higher education sector in the US offers an enormous diversity of subjects, programs, and college degree levels.

There are four-year colleges where students can get a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts studies, as well as there are universities which offer the same programs. Both four-year colleges and universities also offer undergraduate programs. Big universities offer undergraduate programs specialized majors, such as business, science, technology, engineering, math, pre-med, fine arts, and design. Degrees and graduate programs in these and other majors are also available in universities. There is also a chance to get a combined bachelor/master degree offered by big universities. While normally the completion of such programs takes six or eight years, combined programs last for five years. Such programs are available in the fields of teaching, law, medicine, and business.

There are also post-secondary institutions in the US that do not grant bachelor’s degrees. These are two-year community colleges and specialized professional institutes.

Specialized professional institutes offer training courses in such fields as computer technology, fashion design, cosmetology, physical therapy, business studies, fine art, photography, audio/visual technology, and theater arts.

Two-year community colleges offer college level courses in a variety of subjects, starting from philosophy to pre-med. Education is such colleges is often less expensive than education if four-year colleges or universities. Two-year colleges provide their students with associate’s degree known as the ‘degree instead of bachelor’s’. After a student completes two-year college program, it is possible to continue education and to apply for a four-year college or university.

Facts About Education in the US

Introducing python programming to kids.

Public school enrollment falling nationwide, data shows

More and more, parents are opting America’s children out of public school.

The share of children ages 5 to 17 enrolled in public schools fell by almost 4 percentage points from 2012 to 2022, an NBC News analysis of Census Bureau data found, even as the overall population grew.

NBC News’ analysis found:

• 87.0% of children were enrolled in public school in 2022, compared to 90.7% in 2012.
• In Kentucky, the share of school-age children in public schools decreased by almost 8 percentage points. 
• In South Carolina, the share of children enrolled in public schools decreased by 7.4 percentage points. 
• In Alaska, enrollment decreased by nearly 7 percentage points.

During the same period, the share of 5 to 17 year-olds enrolled in private schools increased by 2 percentage points, the Census Bureau data showed. Charter schools saw a similar increase , according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a nonprofit group dedicated to advancing charter schools. 

Educators and researchers say the swing has been caused in part by laws that have targeted public schools while propping up alternatives. 

“[The rise in charter schools] is a thread of the larger campaign of privatization,” said Abbie Cohen, a Ph.D. candidate in UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies. “Those two things are happening at the same time, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence.” 

Policies that make private, charter and homeschooling options more available to families — dubbed “school choice” by advocates — have expanded rapidly since 2022. Such policies grant families public funds for alternative schooling in the form of vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, refundable tax credits and more. In 2023, at least 146 school choice bills were introduced across 43 states, according to FutureEd, an education-focused think tank at Georgetown University. 

Nineteen school choice laws were enacted last year in 17 states, including South Carolina and Florida, which have seen some of the most dramatic declines of students enrolled in public schools. 

As part of the push for school choice, states are eliminating income limits and other eligibility requirements, allowing higher-income families to receive benefits. Eight states passed such laws or created such programs in 2023, FutureEd’s data shows, bringing the total number of states with these programs — commonly referred to as  “universal school choice” — to 10.

Though Kentucky has seen the most students leave public schools, it is one of 18 states without a school choice program, and the state doesn’t fund charters. Homeschooling and “microschooling,” where students are homeschooled together and may be supervised by someone other than their own parents, are increasingly popular alternatives. An EdChoice/Morning Consult poll reported that 15% of parents in Kentucky prefer homeschooling, compared to 9% of parents nationwide. 

Robert Enlow, the CEO of the nonprofit school choice advocacy group EdChoice, said he is “agnostic” to which options are chosen, but believes the money should follow each student wherever they go. 

“Families are saying, ‘Let me have the resources that are due to me, that I get through taxes that are set aside for my kid, and then let me choose,’” Enlow said.

At the same time that states are pushing school choice programs, public schools — already dealing with declining enrollment — have faced budget cuts, teacher shortages, and laws and fights over what is taught in the classroom. 

More than 20 states have considered bills since 2022 that would give parents more control over the curriculum in public schools, from granting parents access to course materials prior to classes, to banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender and allowing parents to opt their children out of any classes. 

One state that has pushed such laws is Florida. The state has passed several parent rights laws since 2020, including changes to make it easier for parents to ban books from classes, a ban against discussing sexuality and gender identity in younger grades and a ban on teaching critical race theory in classes .

Florida’s 5 to 17-year-old population has grown 9% since 2012, but NBC News’ analysis found that  its public school enrollment fell 7% during that span.

Andrew Spar, the president of the Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said new laws have unclear directions and handcuff teachers’ ability to instruct without fear of retaliation for what’s discussed in class. 

“In Florida, there’s so much micromanaging of our public schools, so many bureaucratic rules and laws that get in the way, that it becomes increasingly difficult for us to do our jobs,” Spar said. “Teachers are vilified; they can’t do their jobs.”

Cohen, from UCLA, said parents are unenrolling students from public schools when they either feel the curriculum is not teaching accurate history, or hope for more conservative changes in school policies and curricula. Her research found that funding cuts are among the policies “fueling mistrust” in public schools and could be leading families to alternatives. 

The states with the largest declines in public school enrollment also have the lowest per-pupil spending, Census Bureau data shows . Educators and researchers question whether public schools will bounce back from recent enrollment declines as districts experience a wave of financial struggles and closures . 

“Who is hurting the most are the students who have been most historically marginalized in society,” Cohen said. “When more kids are leaving the public schools, that’s less funding for the public schools and those who are left, are left with less.”

Catherine Allen is an intern on the Data / Graphics team at NBC News.

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Most Americans think U.S. K-12 STEM education isn’t above average, but test results paint a mixed picture

Most Americans believe K-12 STEM education in the United States is either average or below average compared with other wealthy nations, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Recent global standardized test scores show that students in the U.S. are, in fact, lagging behind their peers in other wealthy nations when it comes to math. But America’s students are doing better than average in science compared with pupils in these other countries.

Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand Americans’ ratings of K-12 STEM education in the United States. For this analysis, we surveyed 10,133 U.S. adults from Feb. 7 to 11, 2024.

Everyone who took part in the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way, nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

We also analyzed the latest data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which tests 15-year-old students in math, reading and science in member and partner countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This analysis only includes scores from students in the 37 OECD countries that took the 2022 PISA.

How do Americans think U.S. STEM education compares with other wealthy countries?

Just 28% of U.S. adults say America is the best in the world or above average in K-12 science, technology, engineering and math education compared with other wealthy nations. A third say the U.S. is average, while another 32% think the U.S. is below average or the worst in K-12 STEM education.

Some demographic groups are more pessimistic than others about the state of U.S. STEM education. White Americans (24%) are less likely than Black (31%), Hispanic (37%) or English-speaking Asian (43%) Americans to say U.S. K-12 STEM education is the best in the world or above average. And fewer women (25%) than men (32%) say K-12 STEM education is at least above average.

Republicans and Democrats give similar ratings to K-12 STEM education: 31% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say it is at least above average, as do 27% of Republicans and GOP leaners.

Americans’ views today are similar to those in a 2019 telephone survey by the Center, which was conducted before the coronavirus pandemic caused major disruptions in the country’s schools. In that survey, 31% of Americans said U.S. K-12 STEM education is the best in the world or above average compared with other nations.

How does the U.S. compare with other countries in STEM test scores?

The latest figures from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) show a mixed picture in U.S. math and science scores.

As of 2022, the U.S. was below average in math but above average in science compared with other member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of mostly highly developed, democratic nations:

• U.S. students ranked 28th out of 37 OECD member countries in math. Among OECD countries, Japanese students had the highest math scores and Colombian students scored lowest. The U.S. ranking was similar in 2018, the last time the test was administered. The U.S. average score for math fell by 13 percentage points between 2018 and 2022, but the U.S. was far from alone in experiencing a decline in scores. In fact, 25 of the 37 OECD countries saw at least a 10-point drop in average math scores from 2018 to 2022.
• In science, the U.S. ranked 12th out of 37 OECD countries. Japanese students ranked highest and Mexican students ranked lowest. The U.S average science score was virtually unchanged since 2018. Across OECD countries, far fewer countries experienced a large decline in science scores than in math scores. Seven OECD countries saw their mean science scores decline by 10 points or more.

PISA is taken by 15-year-old students about every three years. Students in 37 OECD countries took the 2022 PISA.

Note: Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

• STEM Education & Workforce

Brian Kennedy is a senior researcher focusing on science and society research at Pew Research Center .

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About half of americans say public k-12 education is going in the wrong direction, what public k-12 teachers want americans to know about teaching, what’s it like to be a teacher in america today, race and lgbtq issues in k-12 schools, most popular.

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