Published: 2025-10-27
Last Updated: 2025-10-27
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School is a lot more important in the USA than in other parts of the world. For comparison these are some quick numbers on the number of universities compared to the population size.
| Country/Region | Population Size | Number of Universities |
| USA | 329M | 8,000 |
| Canada | 145M | < 100 |
| China | 1.5B | < 15 |
| India | 1.5B | < 100 |
| Latin America | 600M | 500 |
| Europe | 600M | <100 |
Not only is there a big difference between the United States and other parts of the world, but many countries don't have a public school requirement. Kids that are sent to school are able to complete 1st to 12th grade at around the ages of 10 to 14.5 with low performers being able to enroll from 9 to 16. Few young humans spend more than 6 years total in school throughout their life, being given an opportunity at economic participation at the ages of 15 to 16.
School is viewed as a definitely American pass time that is strongly tied to the economy and adds a sense of prestige, much like belonging to a social club, religious institution, or other prominent organization.
While many Americans view school as something positive, immigrants view it as somewhat neutral, however they believe that it is likely important to maintain some American traditions and values as the country changes.
People under the age of 18 go to school because its required. However their high school diploma is now more attainable at 15/16. American lifestyle requires that they have a care taker until 18, there are few places where a 15/16 year old can rent their own place or live near other teenagers that are independent of mom and dad.
Adults go to school for various reasons. Some are getting their high school diploma because its important to Americans and they are new here. Others are in college for reasons that are easier to explain in a timeline or table.
| Time Period | Description |
| 1960s | School is recommended for ages 18 to 28 and is available right after high school. The students live at home or in a dorm room that the parents pay for. At age 50 or 60, the parents are closer to retirement but likely not ready to pass away yet. |
| 1970s | used mostly by civil rights activists and viewed as losing popularity. |
| 1980s | mostly used by those interested in computers who eventually moved to business parks. Books were of questionable value but the lab equipment was cool. |
| 1990s | most colleges had gone dormant, job training was a preferrable pass time and they had their own offices. They also made use of school cafeterias and auditoriums at grade school, middle school, and high school. Community colleges gained in popularity with no graduation requirement. Many people did graduate |
| 2000s | The college degree is looked at as prestigious, and looks professional on a work resume in an educational section. There are incentives to go to college including negotiating with social workers on dependency status and parents program eligibility. Close to home or full scholarship are most popular. |
| 2010s | Two groups of Americans have completed their 4 year degree. They perform well in the workplace and many are considered high income earners. However inflation and economic difficulties make home ownership and retirement accounts elusive. There is a desire to quit work and go back to school for some time throughout a lifetime. |
| 2020s | Online school is mainstream and offered at nearly every university. Tuition costs are seen as incompatible with the economy and there are immediate reforms. Programs are also in process of requiring less classes to issue a credential. |
People in the 2020s go to school mostly for work credentials. A degree is required for many high paying jobs. However, people used to stay at 1 job with the same employer or 1 job role with similar employers for 25 years or more. Today, it is rare that a worker will want to stay at 1 place of work for more than 5 years. It is also unlikely they will want to study for 4 years to switch jobs or apply somewhere else.
Other reasons people go to school is for socialization and to help work through disabilities. Community college and low cost in state universities are viewed as good places to make friends that are low commitment and can maintain confidentiality. This is because college students are often busy and can not always spend time with their friends all the time.
People with disabilities are often able to work through a program at a much slower pace. They may take 3 semesters of math or writing to get a C or a D on the hardest class. They may not be able to complete the degree requirements in the requested time period without a petition, and it may not be useful at work without an accommodation. The schools give them a strong support system and a place to study quietly. Its also the best place to ask other people for help if they are not too busy.
Credentials give people credit for the essential knowledge they learned on a topic that is often standardized across industries, regions, colleges, and campuses. While the degree is traditionally the main credential, recently colleges have gone to issuing certificates for 4 classes on average. This allows people to complete a certificate in 1-2 semesters that can be used in the workplace right away. While the certificate works better for professionals that are completely switching job roles, updates to curriculum are making them more viable for anyone looking for a new job.
A credential describes a set of knowledge areas that can be easily correlated to a job role, or to a specific work requirement for managerial roles.
This varies based on person and goals. Colleges, which are specialized schools within a university, can be used for cognitive rehabilitation, for knowledge emersion, for verification of knowledge areas, to obtain credentials, to socialize, and to work on disabilities. Each student will describe their goals to an advisor or admissions representative and will be given programs to select from if they are available.
For work related purposes, the time commitment is significantly less than in the past. First degrees are being recommended for students under 23 and are a 4 year commitment but recently additional degrees take less than 2 years. Most recently one of the Universities may be the first to offer a 2 semester Masters Degree in the near future.
With these recent updates, the first degree may soon be requested to be completed by age 19, and credential updates would take 1-2 semesters. Students would also be able to take time off from work and explore different classes for up to 2 years.