11 Issues confronting higher education in the United States.7 International study and student exchange.5.1 Declining enrollment, mergers, and campus closures.4.2.1 Grants, scholarships, loans and work study programs.4.1.2 Institutional donors and endowments.1.4.4 Protests, political clashes, and the growth of right wing politics.1.4.3 Class privilege and the growth of the educated underclass.1.4.2 Financial difficulties, mergers and downsizing.1.2 Timeline of key federal legislation.

1.1.2 Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).1.1.1 Catholic colleges and universities.The US is unique in its investment in highly competitive NCAA sports, particularly in American football and basketball, with large sports stadiums and arenas. Īccording to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and National Student Clearinghouse, college enrollment has declined every year since a peak in 2010–2011 and is projected to continue declining or be stagnant for the next two decades. In 2021, US student loan debt amounts to more than $1.7 trillion. US higher education is loosely regulated by the government and by several third-party organizations. These may be public or private universities, research universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. It is delivered at 4,360 Title IV degree-granting institutions, known as colleges or universities. It covers stages 5 to 8 on the International ISCED 2011 scale. Higher education is also referred as post-secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or tertiary education.

Higher education in the United States is an optional stage of formal learning following secondary education.

Ilicense free images higher education