Higher education in USA for Indian students means to be part of the world most flexible education system. Students can study their area of interest as specialization.

Types of Institutions to study in USA

Public Universities:

These are state-affiliated institutions which are financially supported by public taxes and are usually large in size. Tuitions fees are usually less compared to private institutions. Examples: Ohio State University, University of California, Kansas State University, etc.
Private Institutions:
A private university runs without the control of any government entity. Tuition fees tend to be much higher than at public universities, Examples: Long Island University, New York University, etc.

Technical Institutes:

These are schools specializing primarily in Engineering and Science and are particularly noted for their research and graduate programs. Example: M.I.T. (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology), NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) etc.

The Ivy League:

Members of the Ivy League are: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania. All these schools are in the North-eastern part of the USA. Tuition fees at these private schools are among the highest in the country and admission is highly competitive.
Small Liberal Arts Colleges: These schools focus on undergraduate study of traditional Arts and Sciences disciplines: Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. Liberal Arts Colleges are often quite old and are usually private schools. Examples: Amherst College, Marist College, Swarthmore College, Manhattan College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, etc.

Community Colleges:

Community College is an educational institution providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting Associates degrees, Certificates, Diplomas. Example: Foothill and Deanza College, College of San Mateo, etc.
Grading System
The grading system followed throughout the United States is on a scale of 0 to 4. To convert the percentage into the GPA, a credential evaluation needs to be done.
Types of Degrees
Associate Degree: It is an academic degree awarded by the Community Colleges, Junior Colleges, and Business Colleges. Usually for two years (60 credits).
Bachelor Degree: Commonly known as an undergraduate degree in India. The duration of the Bachelor course is 4 years (120-150 credits). Students who have completed a part of their undergraduate degree and want to study in USA can apply as a transfer student. There are two types of Bachelor’s degree: B.A or B.S(120-150 credits).
Masters Degree: The duration of Master’s courses may range from a year or two depending on the university and area of specialization (30-48 credits). The binding requisite for Masters is 16 years of education.
Doctorate: Commonly known as a PhD, the duration of the same may range from 3 to 5 years. Students can take admission for a PhD only after the completion of their Master degree.
Summer Program: These are study programs during the months of summer vacation. They usually last for 6 to 10 weeks depending on the school and the course of study.