A guide to universities in the USA
This section provides a basic outline of the structure of university education in the US
along with a brief overview of the facilities for overseas students in colleges and
universities in the USA.
Education in the USA
From small institutions with a few hundred students to large government-supported
colleges and universities teeming with thousands of students and from vocational
colleges to privately sponsored research institutions, universities in the USA cater to a
wide variety of educational needs of overseas students. The vast range of options, not
only on the academic front but also in matters of financing structures, career choices
and employment opportunities  there is a greater possibility of the right fit for
international students in line with their expectations.
  Structure of the education system in the USA
Certain practices or traditions of colleges and universities in the US, at least in the
public domain, differ quite markedly from those in other countries. For example, the
responsibility of formulating policies with regard to higher education rests solely with
the state and not a central authority. Also, private sponsorship plays a dominant role
in funding scholarships and research projects in the US. The broad categorization of
the different types of institutions for higher education is as follows:
•  State College or Universities (of which there is at least one in each U.S.
state): As the name suggests, these universities are funded by the states. 
•  Private College or Universities (which are normally smaller in size than
government-run institutions):.These are generally more difficult to get into,
with the tuition fee also being on the higher side in comparison to the state
schools. 
•  Professional Schools (that impart training in professional fields such as art,
music, business, engineering etc): Some of these schools offer graduate
programs as well. These may be attached to a university or function as
separate colleges. 
•  Institutes of Technology (which conduct courses of  study of at least four
years' duration in the fields of science and technology): These institutes too
may offer graduate programs. 
A majority of the colleges and universities in the US adhere to either a quarter-based,
(with three quarters in a year lasting 12 weeks each), or a semester-based system
which comprises two semesters of 16 weeks each, with an optional quarter or
semester in the summer. Typically, the value of a course is assessed in terms of units
or 'credits' which correspond to the number of hours or classes a student attends of
that particular subject. In order to maintain visa status, it is mandatory that overseas
students register for at least 12 credits.
  A particularly distinguished group of universities comprise what is known as the 'Ivy
League'. The League is a group of eight colleges and universities situated on the east
coast, which are world renowned for their excellent academic standards. These rank
among some of the earliest established American institutions
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The table below gives the pertinent information about the Ivy League members.
Name                        Year of establishment
 
Harvard University                      1636
Yale University                          1701
University of Pennsylvania                  1740
Princeton University                      1746
Columbia University      ·                1754
Brown University                      1764
Dartmouth College                      1769
Cornell University                      1865
The intensity of research activity varies greatly across public universities in the USA.
Institutions with large research budgets  receive roughly 30 per cent of their funding
from the state government, the rest being made up by grants, allocations and tuition
fees. In this matter, the private colleges generally enjoy greater flexibility as they do
not depend on the government, instead relying on philanthropic and professional
organizations and their alumni for a large part of their funding.
Unlike quite a few other countries, reviews of the quality of higher education in the
U.S. are carried out by private, non-profit organizations specifically designed for this
purpose. Besides helping top U.S. colleges and universities maintain quality,

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