In the United States, students begin higher education after completing high school (twelfth grade); students go on to college or university.  Institutions of higher education include two-year colleges (known as community or junior colleges), four-year colleges, universities, institutes of technology, vocational and technical schools, and professional schools such as law and medical schools.

Study at a college or university leading to the Bachelor`s Degree is known as "undergraduate" education. Study beyond the Bachelor`s Degree is known as "graduate" school, or "postgraduate" education. Advanced or graduate degrees include law, medicine, the M.B.A., and the Ph.D. (doctorate).

Undergraduate programs (Bachelor degree):

This is the first level of post-secondary education that begins after 12 years of primary and secondary schooling.  It includes at least 4 years of education and earns a bachelor’s degree.  There are also two-year programs, which earn an Associate degree. A student who has an associate degree has to study further for a minimum of 2 years to earn a bachelor’s degree.  In undergraduate programs, students must take minimum of 12 credit hours to be considered full time.  If they take less then 12 credit hours when they are in F1 visa then they will be out of status, which means they are illegal.

Graduate Programs (Master’s & Doctorate degree):

This is the same as post-graduate education in Nepal.  It usually involves one year or more of education depending on the subject or course, and earns a master’s or doctoral degree like MBA, MS or PhD.  Admission to a graduate program usually requires a minimum of 16 years of formal education. That is, 12 years of primary and secondary schooling and further 4 years of college education.   In graduate programs, students need to take 9 credit hours to be considered full time.

Two-Year College

A two-year college admits high school graduates and awards an Associate`s Degree. Some two-year colleges are state-supported, or public; others are private. Two-year college or "junior" college graduates usually transfer to four-year colleges or universities, where they complete the Bachelor`s Degree in two or more additional years.

Community College

Community colleges or junior colleges are undergraduate institutions offering up to two years of academic instruction beyond secondary school at a relatively low cost and are funded by a state government. Community Colleges serve a local community, usually a city or a county, and meet the educational and vocational needs of local communities. These offer certificate programs that last for a few months to a year as well as associate degrees.
 

They offer Associate degrees that usually require 2 years of study and Certificate programs that usually require one year of study. Many students transfer with their Associate’s degree to a Bachelor’s degree program at a University. The benefits of attending a Community college are lower cost and easier admission. Often community colleges welcome international students and classes are often small and less competitive than at larger state universities. Some community colleges provide housing and advising services that an international student might need. 

Universities

Universities are academic institutions that include one or more undergraduate colleges, as well as any number of graduate and professional schools, i.e. schools offering study for a single profession such as law.

A state school is supported and run by a state or local government. Each of the 50 U.S. states operates at least one state university and possibly several state colleges. Some state schools have the word "State" in their names.

Private colleges and university are operated privately, not by a branch of the government. Tuition will usually be higher than state schools. Often, private colleges and universities are smaller in size than state schools.

Both state and private schools offer four year Bachelor’s degree. However, usually only universities offer postgraduate degrees such as Master’s or Doctoral degrees. In addition, universities are sometimes divided into separate units called "colleges", for example the "College of Arts and Sciences".

Institutes of technology or polytechnic institutes offer specialized programs in sciences and engineering, in addition to basic sciences, humanities and the social sciences, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Define Semester: Fall semester starts from end of August to December and spring semester starts from January to May.

Are Nepali certificates easily accepted in the US? Normally, Nepali certificates are widely accepted in the US, however it is up to the school to approve class credit transfers from Nepali universities.