Issues in higher education in the United States

Higher education in the United States is an optional stage of formal learning following secondary education. Higher education, also referred to as post-secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or tertiary education occurs most commonly at one of the 4,360 Title IV degree-granting institutions, either colleges or universities in the country.[1] These may be public universities, private universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. Learning environments vary greatly depending on not only the type of institution but also distinct aspects such as the relevlant County and State implementing highly different goals.

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Education in the United States
Summary
By state and in insular areas By subject area History of
Issues
Accreditation Primary and secondary Post-secondary Financing Law Literacy Policy Post-secondary issues Bubble Cost and financing Credentialism Elite overproduction Graduate unemployment Student financial aid Student loans Reform Charter schools Inequality School choice School corporal punishment
Levels of education
K–12 - Early childhood (Primary – Secondary) – Post-secondary Organizations
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America higher education is loosely regulated by several third-party organizations. Long-running social problems in terms of the history of the U.S. such as discrimination and poverty have significantly impacted trends in American learning over multiple decades. Both de facto and de jure cultural policies have harmed multiple communities due to perceived inferiorities via prejudice, with them segregated due to economic class, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, and other factors, and access to higher education gets regularly described as a key to both personal self-worth and advancement of whole neighborhoods.

Within this vast estate many issues arise for government officials, educational staff, and students alike. Financial difficulties in continuing and expanding access has become a growing corner over time. As well, medical education in the college and university context as a specific topic has received specialized analysis for decades given the importance of health in America.