Higher education in the United States

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In the United States, higher education is an optional stage of formal learning following secondary education. It is also referred to as post-secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or tertiary education. It covers stages 5 to 8 on the International ISCED 2011 scale. It is delivered at 3,931 Title IV degree-granting institutions, known as colleges or universities.^[1] These may be public or private universities, research universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. U.S. higher education is loosely regulated by the government and by several third-party organizations.^[2]

Post secondary (college, university) attendance was relatively rare through the early 20th century. Since the decades following World War II, however, attending college or university has been thought of as "a rite of passage" to which the American Dream is deeply embedded.^[3] Nonetheless, there is a growing skepticism of higher education in the U.S. and its value to consumers.^[4][5] U.S. higher education has also been criticized for encouraging a financial preference for the most prestigious institutions (e.g., Ivy League schools) over less selective institutions (e.g., community colleges).^[6]

In 2022, about 16 million students—9.6 million women and 6.6 million men—enrolled in degree-granting colleges and universities in the U.S. Of the enrolled students, 45.8% enrolled in a four-year public institution, 27.8% in a four-year private institution, and 26.4% in a two-year public institution (four-years is the generally expected time to complete a bachelor's degree, and two-years, an associates degree).^[7] College enrollment peaked in 2010–2011 and is projected to continue declining or be stagnant for the next two decades.^{[8][9][10][11][12][13][needs update]}

Strong research funding helped elite American universities dominate global rankings in the early 21st century, making them attractive to international students, professors and researchers.^[14] Higher education in the U.S. is also unique in its investment in highly competitive NCAA sports, particularly in American football and basketball, with large sports stadiums and arenas adorning its campuses and bringing in billions in revenue.^[15]