If you’re not familiar with the US university system, things can get a little confusing, particularly when it comes to working out how much your studies are likely to cost. Here’s a quick overview of the main different types of university you can expect to encounter in the US. For more information about studying in the US, visit our country guide, or ask a question in the comments section below.

Public (state) universities

Public universities in the US, also often called state universities, receive some level of public-sector funding, via the state government. You may also find them alluded to as public or state colleges or schools, though both “college” and “school” are also used when referring to a single department or faculty within the university, such as the Law School or College of Engineering. 

State universities are often (but not always) part of a state university system. This is a collection of public universities which operate separately, in different locations of the state, but with some shared management and administration. An example is the State University System of New York (SUNY), one of the largest state university systems, which comprises more than 60 campuses spread across the state of New York.

As state universities are supported by public funding, they usually charge lower tuition fees than private universities – though the actual amount students pay can vary vastly, especially once financial aid is considered. You’ll find two bands of fees listed: a lower rate for “resident” or “in-state” students (students from within the same state), and a higher rate for “non-resident” or “out-of-state” applicants. International students either pay the same fees as out-of-state students, or a separate international rate.

Community colleges

Also referred to as junior colleges, community colleges are also supported by state funding. They typically offer the chance to complete an associate’s degree, an undergraduate-level qualification which takes two years to complete. For this reason, community colleges are also often called “two-year colleges”, while other types of university in the US may be referred to as “four-year colleges”.

An associate’s degree can be beneficial and career-boosting in its own right, and can often also be used as the foundation for a bachelor’s degree, by completing a further two years’ study at another US university or college.

Community colleges tend to be on the smaller side, and their tuition fees are typically much lower than those at other types of university in the US. Like public universities, they’re sometimes grouped into state “systems”. The largest of these is the California Community Colleges System (CCCS), which governs more than 100 community colleges across the state.

Private non-profit US universities

While the majority of students in the US attend public universities and colleges, private universities account for a significant proportion of enrolments – and many of the country’s most elite and globally famed institutions. This includes the likes of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Caltech, Columbia, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and many more.

While private universities do tend to dominate at the top of national (and international) rankings tables, it’s worth pointing out that they don’t have a complete monopoly. Leading public universities in the US, such as the University of Michigan and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) are held in equal esteem and are just as competitive when it comes to gaining admission.

Overall, fees at private universities tend to be higher than those at public universities and colleges. However, the initial “sticker price” is often significantly lower once financial aid is factored in, and the most prestigious institutions tend to also have the largest budgets available for providing scholarships and other funding.

Liberal arts colleges

A type of university which is especially prevalent and popular in the US, liberal arts colleges focus on teaching undergraduate-level courses in the liberal arts and sciences (although some also offer graduate-level programs and more vocational subjects such as medicine, business administration or law). They tend to be fairly small in terms of both overall enrolments and class sizes, and allow students to choose a subject to specialize in (a “major”), while also taking courses in a range of other fields.

Historically, liberal arts colleges have been known for their strong focus on teaching, individual student development, and the more academic (as opposed to vocational) side of higher education. The majority are run privately (as non-profits), though there are a few examples of public universities which are essentially liberal arts colleges, such as the University of Mary Washington, in the state of Virginia.

For-profit US universities and colleges

While most of the best-known universities in the US are classified as either “public” or “non-profit” organizations, the past few decades have seen a growth in the number of for-profit private universities and colleges. Unlike other types of university, for-profits operate as business ventures, aiming to make money for their shareholders as well as providing a good education for their students.

The trend towards more for-profit universities has generated significant controversy, with critics calling for stricter regulations to ensure students and families are ensured a good return on their investment. In the past few years, a stream of negative publicity has been followed by a decline in enrolments at for-profit universities, but they continue to play a significant role in the US higher education sector.

This article is sponsored by EMLYON Business School.

The Economist defines a social entrepreneur as someone who develops an innovative answer to a social problem; for instance, creating a new business model to help tackle poverty. Social enterprises generate profits rather than relying on donations and grants, but unlike other organizations, exist to re-invest profits back into their social mission rather than investors. Well-known social enterprises include Ashoka, the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide who provide start-ups with finance and support, and Grameen Bank with its founder Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace prize-winning company that provides microcredit to the rural poor without requiring collateral.

But how can you become a social entrepreneur? What are the main drivers you should follow to develop a social enterprise, and how can you learn to operate these drivers?

1.  Find out how to turn problems into opportunities

The current generation faces many environmental, economic and social problems, such as climate change and inequality in income and education. It is therefore critical that budding social entrepreneurs understand what opportunities exist to use their skills and experience to make a positive change in the world. Social entrepreneurship is growing in investment and global interest, so this developing sector needs talented individuals motivated to solve social problems, who have the ability to turn an idea into a profitable, sustainable long-term business venture.

As there are many business strategies to consider when developing a social enterprise, it is important to “educate yourself on the different models and pros and cons that come along with each option to find the right social entrepreneurship model,” says Christie Garton, founder of Uchic, an organization that helps young women reach their career dreams. These business models include the “One-for-one” strategy and the “For us, by us” model, as well as partnerships between for-profit and non-profit organizations.

As a student of the Global Entrepreneurship Program, run jointly by EMLYON Business School (Europe), Zhejiang University (Asia) and Purdue University (US), you study the theory of social entrepreneurship as part of the course, whilst at the same time working on your own ventures in order to develop your skills as a global entrepreneur. You also study across three different continents – in Europe, Asia and North America – in order to gain an international view of the factors affecting different societies and the entrepreneurial opportunities available.

2.  Build your international network strategically

As an entrepreneur you will need to develop a solid network of both fellow entrepreneurs and investors. In an article published by Forbes, Susan Rittscher, president and CEO of the Center for Women & Enterprise, claims that “successful entrepreneurs know that the lifeblood of their business is found in making the right connections. Whether it is for potential business alliances, sales, marketing, supply chain management or just to escape the loneliness of being a solopreneur, making connections is vital for business growth.” From attending funding events, to using all of your audacity to walk up to a crowd and start handing out business cards, developing your network will help you secure your enterprise, whether for- or non-profit.

Furthermore, it is important to nurture your network effectively, and to do so you’ll need to make sure that it is the “right size”.  Punit Arora, assistant professor at the Colin Powell School of Civic and Global Leadership, states that “many budding entrepreneurs feel that the larger the size of their network, the greater their odds of success. Nothing could be further from the truth.” The more connections you have, the more complicated it is to keep current with them, especially when you are starting out. As Punit Arora puts it, “sow your seeds strategically, encourage cross-pollination [create bridges within your network], think variety, not quantity.”

As a Global Entrepreneurship student, you have another important power source in your network: Global Entrepreneurship Program alumni who have already gone through the development process and who will give you valuable advice based on your common experience in the program and your needs.

Furthermore, throughout the program you have the unique opportunity to attend the World Entrepreneurship Forum, a world-leading think-tank in social enterprise created by EMLYON Business School and KPMG France in 2008. During the event, you speak with exceptional entrepreneurs who have made a distinctive impact on society. For example, this year’s cohort had the chance to meet 2014 World Entrepreneurship Forum prize-winners Rodrigo Baggio, creator of the Rio-based Committee for Democracy in Information Technology, who helped disadvantaged people gain access to ICT, and Rapelang Rabana from Botswana, creator of Rekindle Learning, a start-up offering innovative e-learning solutions for mobiles and tablets.

Nathan Murphy, student representative of his Global Entrepreneurship Program class, shares his experience of the WEFo 2014. “The experience of WEFo 2014 was great for me. Each entrepreneurial member of the GEP was free to participate and network with the invaluable resources of people and learning opportunities available at the WEFo 2014. I was able to speak to two highly respected and established leaders in the field of social entrepreneurship, which is my area of focus.”

3.  Learn from the failures of other entrepreneurs

As a social entrepreneur, you act as a change agent for society. Professor Gregory Dees from the University of Duke shares that “social entrepreneurs are reformers […] and make fundamental changes in the way things are done in the social sector. They attack the underlying causes of problems, rather than simply treating the symptoms.”

In order to make informed decisions and create real impacts as a social entrepreneur, you’ll need to learn about common mistakes made by entrepreneurs, in order to avoid them in the future. For example, Pablo Martin De Holan, entrepreneurship expert and Global Entrepreneurship Program Director, states that the number one reason that entrepreneurial ventures are unsuccessful is not because of a poor idea, lack of strategy or because they are not profitable; but simply because they run out of cash. This could be caused by many things, such as an overestimation of the income they will receive or an underestimation of the cost and time it will take to get results. Therefore it is important to systematically study and learn from the things entrepreneurs do that lead to success or failure, in order to make more informed decisions and evade easily avoidable mistakes in the real world of entrepreneurship.

Through many in-company projects on all three continents, meetings with global entrepreneurs, and essential practice, the Global Entrepreneurship Program will teach you how to make calculated risks and eventually help you make your social enterprise idea tangible.  

@EMLYON_GEP

If you’ve got a fashion crush on Vivienne Westwood, a penchant for Alexander Wang handbags, or you just enjoy the feel of chiffon against your skin, you’re probably following fashion week as it arrives in Milan, New York, London and Paris with a mixture of awe and jealousy.

If that’s the case, you might also be considering undertaking a fashion degree. From photography to PR and design to merchandising, whichever area of the fashion industry you choose to specialize in, a fashion degree could be the key to a huge array of exciting career options.

Beware however; the fashion industry is notoriously fast-paced and competitive, so make sure to take advantage of all the opportunities you can during your degree, including fashion internships, retail experience and networking opportunities, to boost your graduate employability.

Read on for a selection of fashion careers you can pursue after graduating from a fashion degree, with further advice on how to boost your CV for fashion jobs.

Careers in fashion

Fashion design

Many of those who study fashion dream of pursuing a career in fashion design. As a fashion designer, your job is to design and produce your own garments and products. This is an area largely reserved for fashion design graduates of reputed fashion schools and universities.

When you start out as a fashion designer, it’s likely you will be working in an assistant capacity. As you develop your skills, you will gain more responsibility, including the opportunity to produce your own ideas and creations. Alternatively, if you have an entrepreneurial side and leadership skills, there’s also the option of starting your own fashion design business. This should not be taken on lightly, and many graduates choose to work within an established company to gain valuable hands-on experience, before flying solo. A postgraduate degree with a focus on the business side of the fashion industry could also help, such as the MA in Fashion Design Management offered at the UK’s London College of Fashion.

Careers in fashion design are diverse. You could be working within a team creating a high street/designer fashion line; as a pattern designer within a textiles company; or as a designer/assistant within a large or small fashion house. Careers in fashion design are likely to be most satisfying for graduates who are highly creative, love to draw and make things, and are inspired by fashion.

How to boost your graduate employability: Fashion internships (with a focus on design); a portfolio of work (often degree projects can be used); experience in other aspects of the fashion industry (e.g. retail, marketing, production, etc.); fashion industry contacts (start networking during your degree).

Fashion merchandising and fashion buying

Fashion merchandising and fashion buying are careers dependent on being aware of upcoming fashion trends before they hit the high street. While this may sound as simple as flicking through a copy of Vogue’s September issue, there’s plenty more to these roles!

If you pursue a fashion buying career, your job will be to source and purchase on-trend products that will appeal to your company’s clients and consumers. Fashion merchandising, on the other hand, is slightly more business-orientated, with your main tasks being to calculate how much a customer will spend and to ensure all the right products are found in the right stores at the right time.

Fashion buying and fashion merchandising are key job roles within the retail industry, with hiring organizations including department stores, retail chain stores, online retailers and smaller independent shops and boutiques. So, if you’re keen to forecast the latest trends and have an eye for what will sell, careers in fashion merchandising or fashion buying may well be for you.

How to boost your graduate employability: A fashion blog; sound knowledge of current high street/designer markets and trends; retail experience; numeracy skills; fashion internships (in buying, merchandising, design or marketing).

Fashion marketing and PR

Fashion trends come and go quicker than you can say ‘double denim’, meaning fashion marketing and public relations (PR) departments are constantly challenged to spread the word about the latest styles and style-setters. Taught as a separate specialization at many fashion schools and universities, fashion marketing involves creating advertising campaigns and strategies in order to sell your company’s products to a clients (including shops) and individual consumers.

You will be heavily involved in analyzing new trends and even determining whether a product is marketable. Fashion marketing and public relations officers should have strong communication skills, an eye for detail, solid knowledge of consumer habits and a sixth sense for upcoming trends.

How to boost your graduate employability: Retail experience; copywriting skills; consumer knowledge; great communication skills; experience working within a team; fashion internships (in marketing or design).

Fashion production and management

Fashion production is often thought of as the “front line” of the fashion industry, and much attention and expertise is needed to ensure quality and consistency in the overall product. After gaining experience in the area, management career possibilities will open up to you, allowing you to work your way up the production ladder until you have your own team. Alternatively, you could gain a postgraduate degree in management, specializing in a relevant area.

In recent years the innovational side of fashion production has grown considerably, with growing emphasis on sustainability and zero-wastage, making it one of the more challenging and rewarding fashion jobs due to its wide reach and relevance. Fashion-conscious eco-warriors with strong leadership skills are prime candidates for fashion jobs in production.

How to boost your graduate employability: Interest intextiles and production processes; leadership skills; experience in production/manufacturing; fashion internships (in production or design).

Fashion journalism and publishing

Fashion journalism is an incredibly popular career area for those who study fashion, spurred on by the boom in fashion blogging from the early days of the internet through to the current day. Whether you wish to be a blogger, news reporter or a magazine journalist, there are many routes to success.

Fashion journalists come in many shapes and settings; writing for trade publications, PR companies, e-commerce sites, news sites, fashion magazines and other print and online media. If this sounds of interest to you, your fashion degree must also be paired with strong writing skills and a solid portfolio of fashion writing. If you lack the writing experience but still wish to pursue fashion careers in publishing and journalism, you may consider undertaking a graduate degree in journalism, where you can often also specialize in fashion journalism, magazine journalism or celebrity journalism.

How to boost your graduate employability: A fashion blog; journalism/fashion internships; experience writing for a university publication; a postgraduate degree in fashion and/or journalism.

Advertising

Linked to the field of fashion marketing, the advertising industry can also provide a range of careers for fashion graduates. Whether you’re advertising high street fashion, luxury fashion or related products, graduates can use the skills acquired during their fashion degree to better ‘sell’ the latest fashions to clients and consumers.

Fashion careers in advertising can be within print, film or digital media and can include roles in fashion copywriting, editorial, styling (for photo shoots etc.), multimedia marketing and managing public relations.

How to boost your graduate employability: Experience working within a team; copywriting skills; advertising/marketing internships.

Fashion technology

A growing career sector escalated by the digital revolution, fashion technology is the perfect area of fashion for anyone interested in the wide range of transformative technologies involved – from virtual design-testing interfaces and algorithms that predict patterns in consumer choice, to new materials development and breakthroughs in the way clothes respond to our bodies and environment.

As a fast-growing area, fashion technology promises much scope for career development, with exciting and unlimited prospects. In response to existing and projected demand, an increasing number of fashion schools and universities now offer dedicated degrees in fashion technology, including the UK’s Heriot-Watt University, which offers a BSc in Fashion Technology.

So, if you’re interested in textile technology, innovative software design, new production technologies (such as laser cutting and 3D printing etc.) or even making wearable technology fashionable, careers in fashion technology could be for you.

How to boost your graduate employability: Technical proficiency; fashion internships (in production or design); demonstrable interest in new technologies.

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Other common careers in fashion include: visual merchandising (clothing and beyond), retail management, event organization, sales, tailoring, pattern making, costume design, wardrobe management, personal shopping, fashion styling, photography, modelling and jewelry design.

For informal advice on how to pursue fashion jobs, careers and internships, see this guest blog post by Judy Hofeyr.

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‘What Can You Do With a Fashion Degree?’ is part of our ‘What Can You Do With…’ series. We have also covered art, biology, business, communications, computer science, English, engineering, history, geography, law, marketing, mathematics, performing arts, philosophy, politics, psychology, sociology, chemistry, economics and physics.

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This week the European Commission announced a proposal to make €1 billion (US$1 billion) available to EU member states, to help tackle youth unemployment across Europe. Part of the Youth Employment Initiative, the funds are expected to become available this year, and are forecast to help up to 650,000 young people enter the workplace more quickly.

The announcement reflects an ongoing recognition of the importance of reducing youth unemploymentas quickly and effectively as possible across the region. Valdis Dombrovskis, vice president for the Euro and Social Dialogue, stated in a press release that the aim is to use the money to support the work of EU member states in getting young people into, and back into, work, education or traineeships. “In doing so,” he said, “they are not only able to contribute to the economy and society through their skills and dynamism, but they also regain their dignity.”

“Our young people need jobs… now”

The funds couldn’t come soon enough, according to the Commissioner of Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen. “Our young people need jobs and they need them now,” she said. “It is unacceptable that today more than one young person out of five on the labour market cannot find a job. By making more funding available sooner, we can get more young people back to work.”

The proposal means one third of the €3.2 billion allocated across Europe to tackle youth unemployment over the coming years could be made available this year. It is estimated that projects benefitting from the funding could reach between 350,000 and 650,000 young people this year, compared to just 14,000 – 20,000 without the additional finances.

If approved by the European Parliament and Council, the increased budget could start trickling through to help young people across Europe over the coming months. EU member states would be expected to pass on the funding to participating projects immediately, including a range of schemes to help young people access training, work experience and permanent employment.

Continued investment in the “Youth Guarantee”

The European Commission is further addressing the issue of youth unemployment in a plan to invest heavily in the jobs market, designed to stimulate investment and international competitiveness. A total of €315 billion has been allocated for this purpose, expected to create millions of new jobs across Europe.

The EU’s Youth Employment Initiative is dedicated to ensuring young people receive support in accessing employment and training. The initiative’s Youth Guarantee has been agreed by all 28 member states, and enforces the commitment to “provide young people under 25 with a quality job offer, an apprenticeship or training within four months of leaving school or losing a job”.

In parallel to the Youth Guarantee, the Youth Employment Initiative utilizes its own funds to specifically target member states where youth unemployment exceeds 25%. This funding is used to support young people aged 25 or under (up to 30 in some member states), helping them to access first jobs, work experience, apprenticeships and traineeships, further education and training, business start-up support, and other relevant opportunities.

EDHEC Business School and QS are pleased to offer an exclusive scholarship to attendees of the QS World Grad School Tour.

Scholarship value:  50% of tuition fees

Recipients: 2

Eligibility criteria: To be eligible to apply for this scholarship applicants must have successfully completed the admissions process at EDHEC. Candidates also must have registered and attended the QS World Grad School Tour.

Scholarship applicants must be able to demonstrate: strong levels of academic excellence and willingness to study at EDHEC Business School. The scholarship EDHEC is offering is open to MIM and MSc programmes only. 

Essay topic: “Detail your educational goals and career goals and how the education you will receive at EDHEC will help you achieve your goals. What makes you the outstanding candidate both for EDHEC Business School & QS Scholarships Scheme?”

Word limit: Minimum 500- maximum 750 words

Deadline for application submission:  30th April 2020 

Please follow this link to learn more about this scholarship.

Please indicate your full name, the title of the scholarship and the QS fair you have attended (example: QS World Grad School Tour- London- March 2017) at the beginning of your essay. These words will not count towards the essay limit.

A new report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) calls for greater investment in education funding from the world’s highest-revenue companies – the Fortune Global 500.

Titled “Business Backs Education”, the report reveals that Fortune Global 500 companies spent a total of US$2.6 billion on education-related initiatives in 2013, comprising 13% of their combined corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget. By 2020, UNESCO says that should be 20%.

Published in January ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, the report is part of a UNESCO-backed campaign, calling for greater and more effective investment in education from the private sector.

How do Global 500 companies support education?

Less than half of Global 500 companies were found to allocate any CSR funding to higher education, and just 4.3% of CSR investments went towards higher education funding schemes such as scholarships, grants, infrastructure and research resources.

Between 2011 and 2013, the Global 500’s top 10 investors in education were Banco Santander, IBM, Telefonica, ExxonMobil, Target, GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft, Toyota Motor, Rio Tinto Group and Wells Fargo. Of these, ExxonMobil was the leader in higher education funding, allocating US$47.3 million to CSR activities in this field in 2013.

Global 500 companies based in North America were found to be especially likely to provide higher education funding in the form of scholarships, while companies within the financial sector were particularly likely to fund financial literacy initiatives. UNESCO argues that from a global perspective, these may not be the most pressing priorities.

While regional priorities vary considerably between companies, overall the Asia-Pacific region has been the largest beneficiary of education funding via CSR schemes, ahead of Africa and Latin America.

Recommendations for more effective education funding

UNESCO argues that funding for education continues to lag seriously behind global demand, and that education has long been neglected by CSR initiatives, which have tended to focus on sectors such as healthcare.

In setting a target for 20% of CSR funding to be spent on education, UNESCO is challenging big businesses to match the same percentages as those it recommends to governments and Official Development Assistance.

The report concludes with a set of recommendations for companies, outlining strategies for more effective CSR activities in the education sector. Key points include: thinking long-term; ensuring CSR projects are well-integrated with business models; focusing on needs-based initiatives; and coordinating effectively with other agencies.

Simply investing more cash may not always lead to the biggest impact, the report argues; instead, approaches based on effective innovation and collaboration may lead to better outcomes in the long run.

Want to study abroad and need some information about different locations, admission requirements, fees and applications? Meet universities from around the world at the QS World Grad School Tour in a city near you.

Free to attend, the QS World Grad School Tour offers prospective students the chance to meet universities from around the world all in one location. There’s also the opportunity to get advice on international admissions, funding and tests like the GMAT and GRE, with free seminars held throughout the day. Attendees are also eligible to apply to the QS Scholarships scheme, which awards US$1.7 million every year in study abroad funding.

Register for your nearest upcoming QS World Grad School Tour event here, or leave a comment below to request more information – we hope to see you soon!

Video by Sara Bernado for TopUniversities.com