The U.S. continues to be the international destination of choice for Indian students. Indian Students comprise the largest number of international students in the U.S. .Indian students and their parents know that U.S. higher education prepares graduates for tomorrow's careers. Whatever you have heard about the U.S., it's true. And getting an education there is probably the simplest and most reputable way of being a part of the great American dream.

The United States has one of the world's finest university systems, with outstanding programs in virtually all fields. At the undergraduate level, excellent programs exist in traditional disciplines, as well as in professional fields. At the graduate level, students have the opportunity to work directly with some of the finest minds in their field of study, with the chance to become involved with exclusive research and educational opportunities. U.S. degrees are recognized throughout the world for their excellence.

The United States is home to several thousand colleges and universities, boasting at least ten times as many campuses as in any other country. As a result, the higher education system in the U.S. has something for everyone. Universities in the U.S. pride themselves on being at the forefront of technology, research and techniques, and in making the best possible equipment and resources available to their students.

UNDER GRADUATE PROGRAMME

Undergraduate education in the US is largely based on a liberal arts philosophy. This means that regardless of your study path, you'll be exposed to a variety of courses in the social sciences, humanities, languages and physical sciences. An undergraduate degree is the US is usually called a bachelor's degree. These are highly flexible and allow you to create your own study path. A bachelor's degree is awarded once you receive a certain number of credits, which usually takes four years to complete. Each course is assigned a number of credit hours, usually between 3 or 4. To earn a bachelor's degree you will need between 130 and 180 credits.

Most bachelor's degree programmes are made up of four types of courses. Core courses are mandatory courses set by the institution and usually include a variety of humanities, social sciences and mathematics courses. Your major is the subject you choose to concentrate on and represents between 25 per cent and 50 percent of the total number of courses in your bachelor's degree. Your minor is the second greatest concentration of courses. It will usually be half the amount of credits as your major. Elective courses can be chosen from any department and will make up any remaining credits required to graduate.

POST GRADUAE PROGRAMMES

Two types of graduate qualifications are offered in the US: masters and doctoral degrees.

Academic master's degrees

The Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc) is awarded usually after two years of a combination of coursework and research. The coursework required can be between 30 and 60 credits, as well as a thesis and/or oral exam. These can lead directly to doctoral-level studies.

Academic master's degrees

The Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc) is awarded usually after two years of a combination of coursework and research. The coursework required can be between 30 and 60 credits, as well as a thesis and/or oral exam. These can lead directly to doctoral-level studies.

Professional master's degrees

QUALITY QUALIFICATION

There are many rankings of universities and colleges which qualify institutions on any range of factors from academic research, student performance, surveys of educators and current/prospective students. Other rankings and league tables qualify specific academic programmes or departments. An institution's ranking usually figures highly in the decision-making process of prospective students, however it is important to be aware if the ranking had the input or support from the institution itself.

GENERAL INFORMATION

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COSTS

US Universities fall under two major categories: public (state supported), and private (independent) institutions. International students' tuition expenses at state schools are based on nonresident costs, which are still usually less expensive than those of private universities. It's important to note that the cost of a program in a US school does not necessarily affect its quality. A brief idea can be got from the following table:

The tuition fee is different for different universities and varies widely with courses. It can vary from as low as $ 5,000 a year for state universities to as much as $ 30,000 per annum for some private universities. For more specific details, please contact the universities.

The approximate annual living expenses are about $ 10,000, which includes accommodation as well as other daily expenses. However, the expenses are different for different people depending on the lifestyles and this is just a rough idea. The main expenses can be split up as:

So, about $ 1,000 per month is a good estimation. Most people can survive with $ 800 - $ 1,000 a month. The key here is to share apartments/houses so that you save on the utilities, fixed charge portion of phone and to some extent on groceries.