myUface Blog

A great benefit of the studying at a U.S. university is that you’re sure to find one that very closely matches your interests.  How do I know?  Because there are 4,314 degree granting institutions in the United States, and surely at least one of them has a program that would interest you.

Astonishing Variety

Nowhere else are you going to find such a vast number of educational institutions from which to choose. Some other quick stats:

• Of the 4,314 institutions mentioned above, 643 are “public” and 1,640 are “private.”
• 2,629 offer four-year degrees; 1,685 offer two-year degrees
• In California alone there are 412 institutions; for those of you who like tropical climates, we note that Hawaii has 23, Florida 174; for those who like the cold, Alaska has 8 and North Dakota 22.
• There are over 1,600 different educational programs offered by U.S. universities, covering everything from Construction to Library Science to Public Administration to Indian Studies to Theology and Pastoral Ministry.
• The length and cost of degrees differs as well.  There are at least 23 different kinds of Associate’s degrees, most of which take two years to complete; and there are at least 38 different bachelor’s degrees, most of which take four years to complete (with some exceptions).
• The same degree at two different universities will be a very different learning experience.  This is because, as we talked about in yesterday’s post, most universities try to give their students practical experience with organizations and businesses in the surrounding community.  If you got a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Michigan, for example, you might spend a lot of time learning about the Manufacturing sector; whereas the same degree from a university in Silicon Valley would give you more background and experience in IT.

Diversity Again

The secret to the astonishing number of universities and programs is, again, diversity.  The U.S. has such a diverse country, not only in terms of its ethnic makeup, but also in terms of its geography and economy.  The degrees that are most needed in Boston, Massachusetts are not going to be the same as the degrees that are most needed in Fargo, North Dakota.  And since universities in the U.S. aren’t controlled by the central government, they’re free to determine – independently – the programs that will most likely serve their community.  That’s why you’ll find more universities and more programs in the U.S. than anywhere else.  That’s a huge advantage if you know exactly what it is you want to learn.

But aren’t all those options confusing?

They don’t have to be.   Services like myUface can help you find a university that fits your needs.

For Your Consideration:

What exactly do you want to study in the U.S.?  Have you identified any programs that match your goals?

SERIES:  Why study in the U.S.?

• April 20 – Introduction
• April 21 – Diversity at U.S. campuses
• April 22 – Value of U.S. degrees
• April 23 – The Facilities
  
• April 24 – Practical focus of U.S. education
• April 25 – Variety of U.S. programs
• April 26 – The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: visas
  
• April 27 - The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: cost
  
• April 28 - Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.:  it might not help in your profession
• April 29 – Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.: will you fit in “going back?”
• April 30 – Other disadvantages
• May 1 – So, should you study in the U.S.?

If you enroll to study at a “typical” U.S. university, you’ll encounter students and professors from a bewildering array of backgrounds. Students of many different nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds will share the same classrooms, assignments, and living spaces. A look at the list of the top 20 source countries for international students at U.S. universities will give you some idea of the variety of nationalities represented at U.S. campuses.

There are three main reason why you should care about diversity in a university you attend:

First, diversity among the student body may increase the quality of the education you receive. Here, for example, is the President of the University of Virginia’s view of the value of diversity in the educational process:

We value diversity here because it has to do with the human richness, the variety of experiences and backgrounds and perspectives and reasons for learning that distinguish us as people, based on our own backgrounds, our own expectations and our own prior experiences.

If you are in a classroom with twenty students from an identical cultural background, chances are that all twenty will have a similar approach to material presented in that classroom. If you are in a classroom with twenty students, each of whom is a from a different cultural background, then you will most likely experience many different perspectives about the material presented.  Although different studies have come to different conclusions regarding the impact of diversity on education, there is a general consensus that a diverse learning environment presents certain unique opportunities to students and teachers alike.

Second, as we move into a more and more globalized world, the ability to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds, and to perform well in a variety of cultural settings, will become more and more in demand.  For example, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a ” leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education,” lists, among others, the following skills as vital:

• Global Awareness
• Communication and Collaboration
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

It’s very easy to see how studying at U.S. university with a diverse student body would help you build all of these skills.

To put it more simply, imagine that you have just graduated and you are interviewing for a great job  with a large, international company.  The interviewer asks you, “How do you work with others from different cultural backgrounds?”  If you’ve just graduated from a U.S. university, you’ll be able to answer that question very confidently, providing a number of concrete examples.

Third, the contacts you make with students from different countries and cultures can help you in your professional career.  This is especially true if you see yourself going into an international career.

And let’s not forget the most important reason for you to value the diversity you’ll find on U.S. campuses: meeting students from other backgrounds is just plain interesting.

For Your Consideration:

Does the thought of studying with people from all over the world interest you?  Why or why not?

SERIES:  Why study in the U.S.?

• April 20 – Introduction
• April 21 – Diversity at U.S. campuses
• April 22 – Value of U.S. degrees
• April 23 – The Facilities
  
• April 24 – Practical focus of U.S. education
• April 25 – Variety of U.S. programs
• April 26 – The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: visas
  
• April 27 - The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: cost
  
• April 28 - Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.:  it might not help in your profession
• April 29 – Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.: will you fit in “going back?”
• April 30 – Other disadvantages
• May 1 – So, should you study in the U.S.?