Comparison of UK and USA Education system
Times Higher Education is compiled the ranking of all the universities in the world and after this survey they show that more than 50% of 200 world’s top universities are located either in the UK or the USA. USA and UK share excellent research facilities, rich tradition of quality in higher education, and a culture that promotes academic freedom as well as intellectualism.
However, these two countries are certainly providing an excellent environment for studying but there are many differences between the UK and USA education system regarding the structure of the student life as well as university. In this article, I will give you basic information and after reading this you will find out the basic differences between the British and American education systems.
Length of Time
The most important difference between the US and the UK education system is the amount of time which your degree takes to finish except in Scotland, country located in UK where a bachelor’s degree take 4 years. In general, degree programs in the UK are one year shorter than programs in the US, although this depend upon whether you get a degree of Master prior to a PhD or not . In both education systems, After your undergraduate program you can go directly to a PhD program, but in the UK it is very common to finish a Master’s degree program before moving on to a PhD program.
Academic Term
In mid to late August most universities of the USA begin their term but smaller liberal colleges of arts may start later. Most of its universities take a rather lengthy winter break beginning in mid of December and their second semester start early in mid of January. However, university that is on different calendar, such as a quarter-based system or trimester, may begin their winter break at the end of month of November. The academic term in the United Kingdom is a little more varied. Most of its universities use the semester system; the quarter systems and trimester are used in some of UK universities. Many schools start their terms in October or September and end in June or May, making for an academic year slightly longer. However, United Kingdom has the less standardized academic term.
University Organization
Many “colleges” are united in the form of universities e.g. Cambridge and oxford in the UK and these colleges are concerned to a specific subject but university are still governing these colleges, each college has quite a lot of linkage from the university itself as well as each other. You can eat with others from your college, live with others in your college and for the duration of your studies you can generally stay within your college. By contrast, American universities have different “departments or schools,” include the School of Arts and Sciences so we can say that the general consensus of higher education in the US is breadth, or from a variety of different subjects getting a range of knowledge. In the United Kingdom, the consensus is more on depth or from your chosen subject getting a very thorough understanding.
Homework and Grades
Because the US system related to breadth, courses require biweekly or weekly readings as well as other written and oral assignments such as major research papers, small writing projects and oral presentations throughout the each course. In the United Kingdom, lecture-based schools are much more, with only specific assignments throughout the each semester.
Cost
The cost of education in UK and USA is relatively high, but the cost of an education system in the United States is generally higher than UK. In 2012 a law passed and according to this England universities may charge up to £9000 which is approximately equal to $14,300 per year. But remember this strategy applies only to UK citizenship holders not to international students. International student’s fee can be relatively higher than this measure. In the contrast of this, the government has not high control over universities charge measure in the United States. The United States differentiates between public and private universities as well as between out-of-state tuition fee and in-state tuition fee. These differentiations determine the tuition fee of schools and universities of US. The average tuition fee is almost $3000 per year for public two-year institutions, but $29,000 per year for private four-year institutions. Although some of private institutions which offer 4 year coarse can cost up to $50,000 per year. Loans are available by the government in order to help student in both countries, with favorable interest rates and terms.
Accommodation
The two nations give understudies living arrangement lobbies in which to live. They are generally proportional, in spite of the fact that in the UK it is more ordinary to have a room independent from anyone else, while in the US, you might just impart a room to no less than one other individual. Be that as it may, after the primary year, understudies in the US may have extra lodging choices accessible to them, for example, private lodging or off-grounds lodging. It is likewise more typical for quarters to act naturally cooked in the UK, while the US regularly gives a scope of full feasting choices for its understudies. One possibly huge distinction is that cleaning specialist benefit is normal in the habitation lobbies in the UK, despite the fact that understudies pay an ostensible expense for this administration.
School Requirement
Kids from ages 5 to 16 are required to go to class in School in the UK, either through state schools, autonomously, or self-teaches (state schools are free). At 16 years old, understudies have a decision of whether they need to proceed or not. On the off chance that they proceed with, they will leave ‘school’ and go to 6th shape, what they call ‘school, which is two years of pre-imperative courses for understudies inspired by going to college. At 16 years old, understudies in the UK choose what their field of study will be while in college. The courses they take at 6th shape will be identified with what they will examine while at college (ex. a specialist will take arithmetic/material science courses amid 6th shape). Keeping in mind the end goal to pass 6th frame, understudies need to finish institutionalized A-level tests. Understudies at that point apply to their preferred colleges. The scores that they get on their A-levels are given to colleges to help decide if the understudy is acknowledged or not.
In the US, understudies are required to go to class in School until the point when they are 16 through open or tuition based schools, or by being self-taught. Understudies normally enter secondary school at 14 years old, and finish the four years of secondary school and graduate at 18. At 18 years old, understudies either have the decision to proceed with their instruction at college (otherwise called school in the US), or they can stop school and endeavor to look for some kind of employment. Understudies choosing to continue their investigations will apply to colleges of their decision. Amid the most recent two years of secondary school, understudies take an across the nation state sanctioned test that spreads math, science, perusing, and composing (the test is either the ACT or SAT, contingent upon where you live and what college you’re applying to). The outcomes on these tests alongside the understudies’ normal review in secondary school enable the colleges to decide if the understudy gets acknowledged.
Conclusion
While both United Kingdom and United States provide a great quality education, each education system approaches slightly differently and there is some benefits and disadvantages to each. If you are planning to get your education in either the UK or the US, you should take into mind the various differences as I mentioned in this article such as the duration/length of time it takes to complete the degree, more breadth or more depth in your degree program and the tuition fees.
