College-preparatory school

In Japan, college-prep schools are called Shingakukō , which means a school used to progress into another school. Prep schools in Japan are usually considered prestigious and are often difficult to get into. However, there are many tiers of prep schools, the entry into which depends on the university that the school leads into. Japanese prep schools started as , secondary schools for boys, which were founded after the secondary school law in 1886. Later, , secondary school for girls (1891), and , vocational schools (1924), were included among and were legally regarded as schools on the same level as a school for boys. However, graduates from those two types of schools had more requirements for college entrance. In the modern period, many Japanese secondary schools were five-year schools, except for during a short term from 1943 to 1946. The social status of , or , secondary schools for boys under the old system, did not disappear even after the new system (6-3-3) took effect in 1947. Many are six-year schools. Many have their origins in and , or ones attached to universities. Japanese pupils who aspire to a prep school education take written examinations in sixth grade in each prep school. Unlike six-year prep schools, the top municipal senior high school (three-year schools) in each school zone and some high-ranked private senior high schools (ditto) are also regarded as . In the 21st century, some trial cases connecting public junior and senior high schools are seen in each region, too, broadening the education for college entrance. As the Japanese government provides grant-in-aid to private schools, the tuition is 5,000–10,000 US dollars per year, even if it is a private school. ==United States==

In the United States, there are public, private, and charter college-preparatory schools that can be either parochial or secular. Public and charter college preparatory schools are typically connected to a local school district and draw from the entire district instead of the closest school zone. Some offer specialized courses or curricula that prepare students for a specific field of study. In contrast, others use the label as a promotional tool without offering programs different from a conventional high school. Prep schools can be day schools, boarding schools, or both, and may be co-educational or single-sex. Day schools are more common than boarding, and, since the 1970s, co-educational schools have been more common than single-sex. Unlike the public schools, which are free, they charge tuition ($10,000 to 40,000+ a year in 2014). Some prep schools are affiliated with a particular religious denomination. Unlike parochial schools, independent preparatory schools are not governed by a religious organization, and students are usually not required to receive instruction in one particular religion. While independent prep schools in the United States are not subject to government oversight or regulation, many are accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies for educational institutions. ==See also==