Education in Sweden - Comparison With The American Educational System

Comparison With The American Educational System

The Swedish educational system has its own distinctions and, as such, is not directly comparable to the educational system in the United States. There is, however, a need to compare degrees and the educational or academic levels attained through a completed education. Swedish Education is not easy to compare.

While the Swedish educational system is regulated by the Government of Sweden, the American educational system is regulated at the state level. Furthermore, the definition and duration of primary and secondary school in the US and the names they are called (e.g., elementary school, grade school, middle school, junior high school, high school, senior high school) can vary within a state making comparisons with other countries difficult. To simplify, a typical mainstream American educational system is compared with the mainstream Swedish educational system, where special education is not included in mainstream education.

In the US, children are typically required to attend primary school and secondary school from age 6 to 16. After completing high school, many Americans enroll in higher education in a community college, college, or university. In comparison, Swedish children are required to attend grundskola, compulsory school, from age 7 to 16, where grundskola is a combination of primary and secondary school. After grundskola, many Swedes attend the elective gymnasieskolan, upper secondary school, choosing either a university-preparatory program or a vocational program. Students who choose a vocational program normally terminate their education after gymnasieskolan while students who complete a university-preparatory program normally enroll in higher education at a university or university college. Students who complete a vocational program can enroll in higher education, but may need to take additional courses before being eligible to apply.

In Sweden, grundskola students are required to learn how to swim as a part of their physical education. Since 1 September 2007, students in årskurs 5 must be able to swim 200 meters, with 50 meters on their back.

In the US, many high-school students take a Driver's Education course at their high school, which is often subsidized by the government. Thus, by the age of 18, many Americans have a driving permit or a driver's license. In contrast, Swedes typically learn how to drive by paying for a course at a private driving school (trafikskola). Since driving school can be quite expensive, many Swedes obtain their driver's license when they are older than 18. The minimum age of obtaining a drivers license in Sweden is 18.

Before 1 July 2007, Sweden had several degrees of undergraduate education, such as candidate of philosophy (fil. kand.) or civilingenjör (m. sc. eng.). Since 1 July 2007, undergraduate education in Sweden consists of all higher education degrees that are normally obtained in the first 5 years (Master, Bachelor, University Diploma and all professional degrees). In the US, undergraduate education is considered higher education degrees that are normally obtained in the first 4 years (Bachelor and Associate degrees).

Graduate education in the US consists of the Doctorate and Master degrees. Postgraduate education is additional training after being awarded a Doctorate degree. In contrast, postgraduate programmes in Sweden are at the graduate level and consist of the Doctorate and Licentiate degrees. (The Master degree is a part of undergraduate education.)