Higher Education in the USA and the UK for students

US higher education borrows its structure from both the British undergraduate colleges and German Research University, but its character is profoundly influenced by major philosophical beliefs that shape American public life: ideals of limited government (which protect higher education institutions from excessive government control) and commitment to equal opportunity and social mobility. Though higher education was an elite activity for much of its history, excluding individuals based on gender, religion, race/ethnicity, and social class, during the 20th century, economic and social changes transformed higher education into a primary gateway to the middle-class.