School grades (US)

School grades in the USA. It is hoped that this reference chart will be useful to those unfamiliar with the US school system. It should be noted that practice can vary from this general picture:

LEVEL/GRADE AGE (YEARS OLD)

• Pre-School Under 5
• Elementary School In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, Elementary School or Grammar School included grades one through eight, high school included grades nine through twelve.
  • Kindergarten 5-6
  • 1st Grade 6-7
  • 2nd Grade 7-8
  • 3rd Grade 8-9
  • 4th Grade 9-10
  • 5th Grade 10-11
  • 6th Grade 11-12
• Intermediate school (middle school: 6th-8th grade). Also called "junior high school", although that term may now appear less often than formerly. In many places, junior high school included grades seven, eight and nine, with grades ten, eleven, and twelve in high school.
  • 7th Grade 12-13
  • 8th Grade 13-14
• High school
  • 9th Grade (Freshman year) 14-15
  • 10th Grade (Sophomore year) 15-16
  • 11th Grade (Junior year) 16-17
  • 12th Grade (Senior year) 17-18
• College or University Undergraduate grades are also called Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior years.
  • Undergraduate
    • Lower division, two years leading to an Associate of Arts degree.
    • Upper division, two years leading to a Bachelor or Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree.
  • Postgraduate
    • Two years leading to a Master of Arts degree.
    • Two years leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree.