According to the world university rankings compiled by the Times Higher Education, more than half of the world’s top 200 universities are located in either the US or the UK. Both countries share a rich tradition of quality higher education, excellent research facilities, and a culture that promotes intellectualism as well as academic freedom.
However, while both certainly provide an excellent environment for learning, there are many differences between the two countries regarding the structure of the university as well as student life.
What is the Differences Between the UK and United States Education System?
We will explore the primary differences between the American and British systems of education.
Length of Time
Perhaps the most important difference between the education system in the US, and the UK, is the amount of time it takes to finish your degree (except in Scotland, where a bachelor’s degree also lasts four years). In general, degree programs in the US take about one year longer than programs in the UK, although this varies depending upon whether you receive a Master’s degree prior to a PhD.
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In both systems, you can go directly to a Ph.D. program out of your undergraduate program, but in the UK it is more common to complete a Master’s degree program before moving on to a Ph.D. Courses of study are shorter in the UK because the course programs are generally much more focused than in the US.
Academic Term
Most universities in the US begin their terms in mid to late August, although smaller liberal arts colleges may start later. Most take a rather lengthy break beginning in mid-December and begin the second semester in early to mid-January.
However, universities that are on different calendars, such as a trimester or quarter-based system, may begin their winter break at the Thanksgiving holiday, which falls at the end of November. The academic term in the UK is a bit more varied.
While most also use the semester system, the trimester and quarter systems are used in some universities. Many schools start in September or October and end in May or June, making for a slightly longer academic year.
However, the academic term is less standardized throughout the United Kingdom; if you choose to study there, your university might use a much different calendar.
University Organization
Many universities in the UK are made up of “colleges” which are dedicated to a specific subject matter. While the colleges are still governed by the university, each college has quite a lot of autonomy from each other as well as the university itself.
You live with others in your college, eat with others from your college, and generally stay within your college for the duration of your studies.
Rather than applying to the central university admissions department, as you do in the US, you either apply directly to the college of the subject you want to study or in the case of undergraduate programs, you apply through a centralized system which allows you to apply to several colleges at once.
This system is called the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, or UCAS. This means that you have to know what you want to study before you even apply.
By contrast, in the US, you apply to the larger university and for the first year or more, you take courses from a variety of fields and only declare a major at the end of the first year or perhaps even during the second year. American universities have different “schools,” or departments, such as the School of Arts and Sciences, which houses a number of related majors.
However, even after you declare a major at an American university, you are still expected to take classes outside of that field, known as “electives.”
For this reason, we can say that the general emphasis of higher education in the US is breadth, or getting a range of knowledge from a variety of different subjects. In the UK, the emphasis is more on depth; getting a very thorough understanding of your chosen subject.
Homework and Grades
Because the US system emphasizes breadth, courses require weekly or even biweekly readings as well as other assignments such as small writing projects, major research papers, and oral presentations throughout the course.
In the UK, most schools are much more lecture-based, with only occasional assignments throughout the semester. In some cases, there may be no actual required assignments and instead your entire grade may be based on one final exam.
In the US, your grade will be based on your performance on the variety of assignments, with a final exam making up only a percentage of your total grade.
Cost
The cost of education in both countries is far from cheap, but the cost of an education in the United States is generally higher. According to a law passed in 2012, universities in England may charge up to £9000 (approximately $14,300) per year.
Of course, this applies only to citizens of the UK and the EU, not international students. Fees for international students can be significantly higher. The government sets the limits for tuition fees, and each individual school sets its own fee up to that limit.
By contrast, the government has very little control over what universities charge in the United States. The US differentiates between in-state tuition fees and out-of-state tuition fees, as well as between private and public universities. These distinctions determine the tuition fee.
The average tuition fee for public two-year institutions is around $3000 per year, while the average fee for private four-year institutions is around $29,000 per year.
Finally, some private four-year institutions can cost up to $50,000 per year. In order to help students cover the cost of tuition in both countries, loans are available through the government with favorable terms and interest rates.
Visit the Financial Aid Center for more information about financing your education in the US, and our Financial Aid for the UK section to learn more about funding an education in the UK.
Accommodation
Both countries provide students with residence halls in which to live. They are roughly equivalent, although in the UK it is more normal to have a bedroom by yourself, whereas in the US, you may very well share a bedroom with at least one other person.
However, after the first year, students in the US may have additional housing options available to them, such as private housing or off-campus housing. It is also more common for dormitories to be self-catered in the UK, while the US normally provides a range of full dining options for its students.
The one potentially significant difference is that maid service is common in the residence halls in the UK, although students pay a nominal fee for this service.
While both countries provide a great education, each system approaches education slightly differently, and there are advantages and disadvantages to each.
If you are considering getting your education in either the US or the UK, you should take into consideration the various differences mentioned in this article, especially the amount of time it takes to finish the degree, the tuition fees and whether you prefer more depth or more breadth in your degree program.
| America | Britain | |
|---|---|---|
| Length of Time | BA: 4 years MA: 2 years PhD: 5-7 years or longer | BA: 3 years MA: 1 year PhD: 3 years |
| Academic Term | Most schools use the semester system, but some use a trimester or quarter system. Most schools start in mid to late August and end in May. | Most also use a semester system, but some use trimester or quarter systems. The start and end of an academic year varies by university. |
| University Organization | Universities are often divided into schools by subject, but these schools do not typically have a lot of autonomy from the university. | University acts an umbrella organization for the different colleges. Colleges are fairly independent of one another. |
| Style of Education | More varied, liberal arts, study outside your major. | Take only classes in your college. |
| Depth vs Breadth | Breadth | Depth |
| Homework | Constant reading and writing assignments | General assignments or no assignments throughout the semester |
| Cost | High | Moderate |
| Grades | Based on overall performance on all assignments | Based mostly on the final exam |
| Athletics | Important social activity; athletic scholarships available. | Intramural sports; generally no athletic scholarships available. |
| Living Situation | Dormitories with roommate. Off-campus housing occasionally available. | Dormitories without roommate generally. Off-campus housing generally available. |
| Types of Degrees | Associates, Bachelors, Masters, PhD, variety of vocational and professional degrees. | Higher National Diploma, Certificate of Higher Education, Diploma of Higher Education, Foundation Degree, Bachelors, Masters, PhD, variety of professional and vocational degrees. Postgraduate degrees divided into taught and research degrees. |
How does the American School System Work Compared to the UK?
Types of Schools
British have State (Government) run free schools and Public/Independent (Private) fee based schools. While UK have state run faith schools, separation of Church and State does not allow religion to be taught in US government funded schools, and there are a lot of quality private schools run by the churches with good disciplines.
Age
Mandatory schooling in UK is from 5 to 16 years old, where primary starts at the age of 5 and secondary school starts around 11. In US, mandatory school age is from 5 to 18 years old, where elementary schools (K-5th grade) from the age of 5, middle schools (6th to 8th grade) from 11 and high school (9th to 12th grade) from the age of 14.
In America, we say students are in 7th Grade while British students of the same age are in Year 8. They are labeled a higher number in comparison to the US because we call the first formal year of school Kindergarten in America, which is the equivalent to Year 1 in England.
Levels
In British schools, students are separated in to numerous ability levels and can be changed and regrouped throughout the year. Therefore, it is clear to everyone what type of progress a student is or is not making.
American schools offer classes that are usually either general or advanced. That’s it. Students mostly pick which type of class they’d like to take. Those that want the higher level need a teacher’s recommendation to register.
US school is supposed to move students from grade to grade according to meritocracy. UK matriculates according to age, eventually aging out of system.
US High School Diploma
At completion of High School (HS) in US students are to pass minimum course requirements and exam to receive a HS diploma – thus graduating. Students who pass the 12th Grade in the US by completing enough classes, but do not meet all of the standard graduation requirements, will not receive a high school diploma, but will instead receive a certificate of attendance.
Requirements for HS diploma are well below acceptable minimum to get into 4 year college or university, and there is a good reason for this – the first year (Freshman year) in US College provides a fundamental level of education across five major disciplines*. This approach gives time and flexibility to high school graduates to seriously consider their future majors during their first year in college, and hence a better decision. Colleges in US give out 4 year bachelors, whereas UK colleges are 3 years.
State (Government) Schools
For state schools in UK (run by government), the school years are further broken in to groups called Key Stages. For example, Years 7-9 are classified as Key Stage 3. Students ages 16-18 are in the 5th Key Stage, the final stage which is also called Sixth Form.
When looking at study plans as differences between British and American schools, there is more unity in the British course of study. Schools (unless they are independent) must follow the National Curriculum. American school teachers experience a substantial amount of freedom in comparison to what they can teach and when against their British counterparts.
US have Public (100% tax funded), Magnet schools (also public but specializing in specific subjects like art or biology or technology or college prep; magnet school have application processes and selection criteria) , Charter schools (partially public funded, parents given money/voucher and allow to pay for school of choice, including faith based school. And Private school (no government funding).
In U.K. state run secondary school parents still needs to pay for uniforms, textbooks, lunches, field trips etc. (avg cost 500 EU/year) Most public school in US does not require uniform and all textbooks are free; it is free except for extracurricular (sports and music), with subsidies available for those who can’t afford it.
Both countries have need-based government lunch and other aid programs for those who qualify. US is big in requesting fundraiser for free public school, whereas fundraisers are mostly done in fee based private school in UK. UK has a lot more boarding schools than US.
Independent (Private) Schools
In UK, Public school, also called independent school is one of a relatively small group of institutions educating secondary-level students for a fee and independent of the state system as regards both endowment and administration. (The term public school emerged in the 18th century when the reputation of certain grammar schools spread beyond their immediate environs. They began taking students whose parents could afford residential fees and thus became known as public, in contrast to local (state run) schools.
Standardized Tests
British have national standardized testing throughout for primary and secondary education. US have K-12 Common Core (CC) Standards in 42 of 50 states. Each state implements CC differently but the testing is the same. States ranking at the bottom are threatening to leave CC.
US standard and quality of education vary drastically from state to state and even within same district depending on school. Take an example, San Francisco has many top High Schools in the nation as well as the not too good ones.
Instruction for British secondary students focuses on the GCSE subject exams and the A Levels. In America, the SAT and ACT are the only real standardized tests that students take at a national level.
Since the GCSE are subjects based, students are expected to have spend time in tutoring and drillings for the exam, one the other hand, the SAT exam is basically a test for the students’ general academic ability, to see how well they are prepared for colleges.
The SAT is most popular, it features three sections: math, critical reading and writing. For nearly four hours, students have to answer questions that have little reflection on what they study in school each day. However, the results of this test have a substantial effect on a student’s ability to apply for a university.
In both UK and USA, there are schools that also offer IB (International Baccalaureate).
Grading
Grades in UK are often given according to bell curve; if majority get 90 on a test, then 90 = C, only the top 10% will get an A. In US if you get 90% correct on a test you’ll receive an A; if everyone received 90% or higher everyone in class can get an A. Straight As report cards are a lot more difficult to obtain in UK.
Holidays and Breaks
In America, schools generally give students around 10-12 weeks of vacation. They can release students anywhere from the end of May to mid August, or mid-June to the beginning of September.
British schools are quite different. They generally end their academic year in mid-July and begin the first week of September. This gives students about 6 weeks of a summer holiday.
However, British students receive much more time away from school during the academic year, in comparison to American students. Nearly all British schools have a half-term, one week break in October, February and May. They also receive at least two weeks holiday over both Christmas and Easter holidays.
The class is ended
At the end of a class period, British students must stand at their desks and wait for a teacher to say they are dismissed. In America, when the bell rings, you run. … The end.
Which Country has the Best Education System?
Fifty years from now, the whole world will be governed by the youth of their countries. Their knowledge and thoughts will decide the future path of the world. All these decisions will depend on what they have learned now, what they have experienced and what education system they have attended.
In this section, we’ll find out which countries have the best education systems. We will analyze the education system of different countries based on various factors like the rankings given by the reputed ranking institutions like QS Ranking and Times Higher Education, which are established in overseas education.
We will also assess their higher education system on factors like research opportunities offered by their institutions and the number of Noble Prize Winners given by any country. Apart from this, we will also consider how much money is allocated for the education of the country. Here, we will analyze the share of the country’s GDP spent on education.
1. United States
The QS World University Rankings comprises of the 150 universities of the top international study destination, US. More than 1.18 million international students were studying in the US in 2017. 77% of these have come from Asia.
As per the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report, the most popular courses are Business and Management, Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. Apart from this, the most popular study destinations for students are New York, Texas, and California.
The main highlight of US universities is their focus on research-oriented learning. Researchers are always at the forefront and are always lookout to develop something new. Innovation and creativity always remain at the core of their educational philosophy.
In the US, regular testing/homework and classroom participation is mandatory for getting a good result. Students are encouraged to discuss the issues and focus on providing ideas.
The number of Nobel laureates associated with the University of Chicago validates the university’s focus towards producing ideas that make an impact in the world. Till date, 97 Noble Laureates are associated only with the University of Chicago and 90 of them are listed as ‘UChicago’s Nobel Laureates’.
The researchers, faculty members, students, and other graduates of the university were awarded Nobel Prize and Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Apart from this, currently, there are 13 US cities that are listed in the ‘QS Best Student Cities’ index.
Each comprises of established universities and distinct culture and lifestyles. According to the QS Employer Survey, out of the world’s top 50 universities, 13 universities for graduate employability are from the US.
In 2015, the US spent approximately $12,800 per student on elementary and secondary education which is 35% more than the country average of OECD countries.
2. United Kingdom
The UK is the world’s second-leading study destination hosting more than 442,000 international students. Currently, 4 UK institutions are ranked amongst the top 10 global institutions. Also, 76 UK universities also feature in the ‘QS World University Rankings 2019’. This signifies the global reputation and popularity of UK universities.
Even after its referendum on EU membership (2016), it has not lost the appeal among the international students. Because of the popularity of the UK universities led the country being ranked second in the ‘QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings 2018’.
Moreover, 18 UK universities feature in the top 100, and another 11 make it to the top global 200. Even after experiencing its worst-ever decline in QS rankings since 2016, UK has not lost its charm as a top study abroad destination amongst the students globally. For the year ending March 2019, the UK has spent 4.2% of its GDP on education.
More than 30 prominent world leaders, 26 Nobel Prize winners, 120 Olympic medalists and 26 British Prime Ministers were educated at the University of Oxford. Noted Indian leaders like Indira Gandhi studied at the Oxford and Mahatma Gandhi was amongst the most famous alumni of the University College London. Also, B.R. Ambedkar, the main architect of the Indian constitution worked on his doctoral thesis at the LSE.
As 10 UK universities feature in the ‘The Global University Employability Ranking 2017’, it is proved that UK universities produce the most employable graduates worldwide.
3. Canada
It is known for its natural beauty and cultural diversity. Moreover, 26 Canadian universities appeared in the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2018 and the QS World University Rankings 2019 out of which 3 are included in the global top 50.
Additionally, 11 more universities are included in the world’ top 300. The most popular study destinations for international students are Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.
There are different types of education providers in Canada:
- Universities: They focuses on research and provide both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
- Community colleges and technical, applied arts or applied science schools: They offer diplomas, certificates, bachelor’s degrees, and associate’s degrees.
The easy application process, affordable study options, and great post-study opportunities make it the preferred destination for international students. It is preferred by those who are looking for alternatives after strict US immigration laws.
According to an International Student Survey conducted by the Canadian Bureau for International Education, 95 percent of students recommend Canada as a study destination and 90 percent of students were satisfied with their studies. In 2014, Canada spent 6.0% of its GDP on education, higher than the average of 5.2% in comparison to the OECD countries.
Canadian universities are acknowledged for their impactful research work and producing some of the greatest academicians. The University of Toronto has produced 10 Nobel laureates and 5 Canadian Prime Ministers. Additionally, 7 Noble Prize winners and 65 Olympic medalists are associated with the University of British Columbia (UBC).
4. Germany
It is considered the top study destination for non-English speakers of the world. Also, it is considered as the third most popular study destination after the US and the UK.
Almost every major city of Germany is home to at least one world-class university. 13 German universities make to the world’s top 250 and 30 in the top 500. This itself is enough to place Germany amongst the world’s best education providers.
Low tuition fees, excellent post-graduate job opportunities, different scholarships schemes and high-quality life are some of the factors which makes it a favorite amongst the higher education aspirants.
Also, home to some of the world’s oldest universities, Germany is considered as the hub of innovation and world-class discoveries. On an average, Germany spends 5% of its GDP on education.
LMU Munich established in 1472 has produced 34 Nobel laureates and renowned scientists. Further, 13 Nobel Prizes have been awarded in areas of Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine to the academics related to the Technical University of Munich.
In addition to this, the oldest university in Germany, Heidelberg University offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees across 100 different subjects. The student body of the university represents 130 countries of the world. Apart from producing 56 Nobel laureates, the university has produced influential philosophers, politicians, and scientists.
One more in the list includes the Humboldt University of Berlin which has given most influential figures to the country like Albert Einstein and Walter Benjamin. The university has also produced an impressive 40 Noble prize winners, a majority in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine.
The university library comprises of 6.5 million books and thousands of magazines and journals. Apart from this, RWTH Aachen University has also produced 5 Nobel laureates who were awarded for their extensive work in Physics or Chemistry.
5. Australia
Home to just 24 million people, it is one of the most popular study destinations for international students. Australia’s excellent higher education system was ranked third in the ‘QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings 2018’. Australia’s Group of Eight (like the US Ivy League) features into the global top 100 and 37 universities appear in the top universities rankings globally.
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Apart from this, the highest number of institutions of Australia appear in the ‘QS Top 50 Under 50’, which includes the world’s leading young universities. Also, the top 35 Australian universities feature in the ‘Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2018’. On average, Australia spends more than 5% of its GDP on education.
After the UK and the US, Australia is home to the third-highest number of international students. Further, six Nobel Prize winners were among the faculty and alumni of the Australian National University. Currently, it is run by a Nobel laureate, Brian Schmidt, who won the prestigious prize in 2011 in Physics.
Top 5 Australian universities have produced Nobel laureates, scholars and famous world leaders whose work has impacted the world. 5 Australian Prime Ministers attended the oldest university in Australia (since 1851), The University of Sydney.
The Booker Prize-winning novelist Peter Carey attended the research powerhouse, Monash University. The University has research and training centers in different parts of the world. Noted Royal Society’s fellows David Boger, David Solomon and Nobel prizewinner Peter Doherty (Physiology and Medicine) used to teach or research at the University of Melbourne.
