How to navigate the US education system

An overview of the education system in the US

The American education system is broken up into six stages. Your eligibility for each one will depend on your age and whether you have ‘passed’ or ‘failed’ your respective grades. We’ll get into the grading system in just a bit, which will make clear what it takes to pass – but for now, here’s a guide to the schooling stages.

How does the grading system in the US work?

In the US system, each of your assignments, quizzes and tests are graded on a letter scale. Then each of these letters corresponds to a percentage that makes up your overall Grade Point Average.

Some teachers will provide the percentage you attained on top of the test, rather than the letter grade A through F – just to confuse things ever so slightly!

The highest Grade Point Average or GPA that you can attain is a 4.0, which would correspond to having “straight As” as they say. Bs are worth 3.0 points, and it decreases by one point for every letter grade you go down. The lowest GPA you can graduate with is a 1.0. Anything less than 60% is considered a fail.

To calculate it, you will add up all the grades that you’ve attained and then divide these by the number of courses taken. While the GPA is somewhat important in elementary school and middle school–as success in certain subjects can get your child moved up to “Honors” classes–it becomes increasingly important once you reach high school.

Your high school GPA will be a big determining factor in which universities you are likely to be accepted into. At the degree level, rather than getting ‘First Class’ or ‘Second Class’ like you do in the UK, you might be able to graduate as a Cum Laude scholar or Summa Cum Laude if you have a very good Grade Point Average.

What if I don’t have a good GPA?

If you do have a lower GPA at high school and are looking to apply for US universities, you also have the chance to shine on the required standardised tests. To apply for a US university, you must have sat a nationwide exam called the “SAT” or the “ACT”.

What are the SATs and ACTS?

The SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test. The ACT stands for the American College Test. Both tests are accepted by most major universities, but their scoring system is slightly different.

You may have seen in older films that college-bound students will talk about getting a 1600 on the SATs. That was the top score that was possible on the old version of the test. The new version of the test (as of 2005) includes an additional essay section that students are scored on, as well as altering some question formats. The new “top score” for the SAT is now 2400. The highest possible score on the ACT is 36.

When you get your SAT results, you will also be told what percentile in the country’s test takers you sit. So that will give you a good indicator of how you’ll do when applying for universities. It goes without saying that a high GPA and a high SAT result will put you in good standing to attend some of the top tier universities in the country, such as the notable “Ivy League” colleges or even reputable state schools.

But for those of you who are looking to move to the US with younger children, you might not want to get too ahead of yourself! We’ll walk you through all the stages of the school system so you can prepare for what’s right for your child.

Preschool in the US

US is often known as “pre-k” or pre-kindergarten. It’s for children aged three to four and is not compulsory for children to attend. The purpose of preschool is to get children used to going to school, and can also be good for building their social skills. Preschool arrangements will also vary state by state.

How many children actually attend preschool in the US?

According to Statista, about 1.62 million children were enrolled in pre-k in 2020. That amount might seem large, but when you consider the population of the United States is well over 300 million, it’s only a drop in the bucket.

The reason most people don’t enroll their children into preschool is because it’s often run privately, which makes it potentially too expensive for some. There are some public school options, called Head Start programmes, but these are means-tested and you need to qualify to send your child there.

Elementary school in the US

The naming of this stage differs in the UK and Europe, where it is often called “primary school.” Elementary stage may be the first step for children who haven’t attended a pre-k school. It starts at age 5 and goes up to about age 10, with each age group being broken out into different classes and grades.

The first stage in elementary school is kindergarten, then first grade, second grade and so on up until fifth grade. In some cases, if your child is struggling in school then they may be asked to repeat a year. Students will have one teacher (or sometimes two teachers if the school district splits them by subject) who teaches them a variety of subjects from Science to English. You might notice that “History” class is often called “Social Studies”.

Choosing the right elementary school for your child can be difficult, especially if you’re asking “How many elementary schools are there in the US?” According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, there were about 87,500 elementary schools in the United States between 2017 and 2018.

Often where your child ends up will be very dependent on where you choose to live and the school district you are in. You can also do a search for the top private elementary schools in the US, and choose to send your child to a specialist school to make sure they receive individual attention.

Middle school in the US

Middle school, or Junior High School as it’s also called, runs through grades six to eight and public versions are free of charge for students to attend. Middle school is a stepping stone from elementary school to high school. Children will typically move from classroom to classroom for different “periods” with specialist teachers. They will be given lockers to house their books and other items.

Different states often have different school systems which will affect how the middle school operates. Some start at 11, whereas others start at 12 years old. In more rural areas with fewer people, there may not even be a middle school and children will stay in elementary and complete grades six through eight there.

High school in the US

How many high schools are there in the US? A lot! In 2021, the total number of high schools in the US was expected to reach about 26,727, according to Educationdata.org.

Students attend high school from the ages of 14 until about 17 to 18. Some states will even allow students to leave earlier than this with the permission of their parents. High schools tend to be larger than most elementary schools. Like middle schools, high schoolers will have multiple classes that they can go between each “period”.

Students can attend a publicly funded high school or fee-paying private school. Private schools may have the advantage of being smaller or more niche, so students who need extra help will be able to get it there. But, in lots of large states, the public school systems are also very good.

Students can also choose, or be selected, to participate in Advanced Placement (AP) classes or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, which will give them college credits if they perform well on the final exams. These credits can prove invaluable for students looking to graduate from university early.

Studying as an expat in the US

The US is considered to be the most popular destination for international students, so it’s no surprise that you might be looking to make your move there. With over 4,000 institutions and colleges, you’ll have your pick of where to attend.

If you’re wondering “Which state has the best education system in the US?”, Massachusetts was ranked by US Newsas number one. This may not be surprising given that Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are both located in Boston, MA. These two rank towards the top of the QS World University Rankings 2022’s of best universities in the States:

• 1st - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

• 3rd - Stanford University

• 5th - Harvard University

• 6th - California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

• 10th - University of Chicago

US universities are either publicly or privately funded. If you already live in the state where the university is located, you can apply for “in-state tuition”. Otherwise, international students may pay a higher price. It has to be said that a US education doesn’t come cheap. But there are plenty of funding options like “Financial Aid”, loans and also scholarships which can help ease the cost of the tuition.

There are two types of degrees you can attain. An Associate’s Degree, which is a two year degree taken at a technical or community college, or a Bachelor’s Degree, which takes four years. For a Bachelor’s Degree, you will often be asked to complete “common core” subjects that range from Arts and Science to give the student a well-rounded education.

By your junior year, you will be asked to “Major” in a topic. This will be reflected on what degree type you attain. A B.S. degree, for example, is a Bachelor of Science whereas a B.A. is a Bachelor of Arts. You may also be asked (or choose to) minor in a secondary subject to further round out your education.

Ready to take the next step in your US education journey?

We hope this guide has helped clear up what can be a really confusing system for people coming to study in the US. Many times there will be school administrators who are more than happy to help you (or your child) figure out how best to navigate the system from within.

For those of you looking to attend university in the States, you may want to look into “test prep” for some of the standardised tests you’ll be expected to take. But rest assured, that no matter which school you pick, many schools are more than welcoming to international students. Enjoy your time abroad – and if you need any help with transferring money for your tuition, or for any other reason, we’re here to help.

The contents of this blog post does not constitute legal or financial advice and is provided for general information purposes only. If you require specific legal and / or financial advice you should contact a specialist lawyer or financial advisor.