WikiIsNotaDictionary, but this AmericanCulturalAssumption may require some explanation for readers from elsewhere.

	* '''Preschool''' or '''Pre-K''' up to 5-years.
	* '''Kindergarten''' (generally starts when one is 5 years old)
	* '''Elementary''' (1st Grade starts after Kindergarten, and Elementary School generally continues to the 5th or 6th grade.)
	* '''Junior High School/Middle School''' (In some districts, elementary/primary schools go from Kindergarten through 8th grade; in others, there is an intermediate level. If the intermediate level covers 5th-8th grade, it is usually called a Middle School; if it covers 7th-8th, it is called Junior High School. Some school districts have Junior High School covering grades 7th-9th, and High School is then grades 10 to 12.)
	* '''High School''' (9th or 10th to 12th grade.)
		* 9th Grade - Freshman year
		* 10th Grade - Sophomore year
		* 11th Grade - Junior year
		* 12th Grade - Senior year

The schools following elementary school are collectively referred to as '''secondary''' education. In other countries, this is often called "middle school" and "high school" would be after the 11th or 12th year.

Schools are administered by School Districts. Sometimes they are coterminous with a city or county and sometimes not. Sometimes the elementary and high school districts are distinct. Sometimes it's complicated to determine what district you live in because the district will be named after a city, but its attendance area will not be identical with the city limits.

''Some school districts have elementary school as K through 8, and then directly to high school for grades 9 through 12. The Chicago Public Schools are one example, at least when I attended. Some of the elementary schools did not have all grades K-8 attending, however.''

ThankYou! I was always confused by this. But how does College fit in?
''It comes after high school, typically for one of 2 (Associated Degree), 4 (Bachelors Degree), or 7 years depending on what degree is being sought. The postgraduate degrees are a Masters Degree, typically an additional one to two years, and the Doctoral Programs, which can run from 3 years upward.''

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If you want to go into Medical or Law school, you need to get another degree first. In Canada, you only need to finish 3 years of another degree before applying (presumably you'll finish the degree before entering med school). Medical school lasts 4 years.

In Germany, you enter Medical school straight out of Gymnasium. Medical school lasts 6 years.

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In Ontario, Canada, HighSchool is still five years, including one year of university preparation. This extra year is, however, on its way out so that we'll match the rest of the country's program. -- JbRainsberger

In Ontario, Grade 13, formerly known as OAC (Ontario Academic Credit), has been phased out. High school now consists of grade 9 - 12 -- PaulHaynes
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In NewBrunswick, Canada, Middle Schools cover Grades 6 - 8.
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CategoryEducation