US Colleges and Universities

A comprehensive directory of United States colleges and universities, since 1996.

Background On Higher Education in the US

Many of the world's most prestigious higher education institutions are in the United States. Also known as post-secondary education, the American higher education system includes colleges and universities that focus on one or more study areas such as vocational, business, engineering, technical, or liberal arts. The most common degrees include associate, professional, bachelors, masters, and doctorate. There are over 7,000 higher education institutions in the U.S. with over 15 million students. International students make up a substantial part of the enrollments for many schools.

Accreditation in the US

The quality of educational programs is maintained through an independent and voluntary accreditation process that is unaffiliated with government. The U.S. has six regional accreditation associations as well as national associations that rate institutions on many different criteria, such as quality of their libraries, faculty research and publishing, and faculty credentials. Individual programs within an institution may also receive accreditation from specialized agencies.

An advantage of the US's accreditation process is the relative ease in which students can transfer studies from one institution to another. Students, for instance, might start studies at an appropriately accredited two-year community college, completing an associate's degree, and then transfer much of their coursework to continue studies in a four-year bachelor's program at a university. Also, in general, studies at US institutions with accreditations from associations recognized by the US government's Department of Education or The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) are transferrable for studies in other countries.

Public and Private Institutions in the US

The American university and college system is highly decentralized with both public and privately operated institutions. Schools can be non-profit or for-profit. The US Department of Education estimates that close to 70% of all undergraduate students attend public institutions, which includes undergraduates at two-year, community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. Tuition and living costs of public education are typically lower than for private -- for instance a recent Department of Education estimate put average total costs of attendance for undergraduates at public four-year institutions at near $15,000 per year versus close to $30,000 for private, for-profit, four-year institutions.

Students making a decision between a public and private school usually consider many factors, such as total costs, available financial aid, fit of academic programs with career goals, class sizes, convenience of classes, flexibility of studies, location, housing options, characteristics of the student body, reputation, and much more.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements vary widely from one US institution to another. For vocational and undergraduate programs typically a high school diploma or equivalent is needed. Many programs require the completion of entrance tests, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) examinations. It is a common practice to also consider high school coursework, personal interests, and accomplishments as part of an institution's evaluation of applicants.

Student Financial Aid in the US

Most college and university students in the US receive a substantial level of financial aid for funding their studies. For example, a recent US Department of Education report estimated that 80 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some type of financial aid. These students on average were receiving aid that covered over 50% of their costs of attendance.

Aid for all higher education students, including part-time and graduate students, is available from a spectrum of government, public, and private sources. Types of financial assistance can come in the form of grants, loans, work-study programs, tuition waivers, scholarships, tax benefits, and more.

International Students in the US

International students in the U.S. are a significant and important part of US higher education. A recent report by the Institute of International Education (IIE) noted a record number of international student enrollments at over 600,000. The US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs receives 25 million inquiries annually from prospective students around the world interested in US-based studies. Students coming to the US take on studies through exchange programs, college and university programs (for semester, year, or degree), and vocational schools. Many of these students find the quality, diversity, affordability, and flexibility of US studies to be appealing.

Online Education in the US

An important emerging trend in the US is online higher education that makes use of Internet technologies. This type of education, sometimes known as distance learning or e-learning, gives students flexibility for when and where they undertake their studies and enables remote collaboration with peers and instructors. It is estimated that over two million students in the U.S. make use of online higher education. As part of this trend new online-only schools have been established and many existing higher education institutions are introducing online educational programs. Online studies can take place on a full-time or part-time basis, or can be blended with on-campus classes.

About the US

The US, also frequently referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America, is made up of 50 states and a federal district, Washington D.C., where its national capital resides. The US also has several territories, including Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.

With its number of citizens estimated at just over 300 million, the US is the third largest country by population. It is also the third largest country by land area. Its economy is the largest of any country, with estimates putting its gross national product (GDP) at close to 23% of the world's total.

The US population is considered very diverse relative to other countries -- one estimate puts the number of ancestry groups with more than a million members at 31. Its most populous cities are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston. The most populous states are California, Texas, New York, and Florida.