A typical college academic year in the U.S. is divided into two main semesters: the fall semester and the spring semester. Each semester usually lasts about 15 to 17 weeks, including a final exam week
. The fall semester generally runs from late August or early September to December, and the spring semester runs from January to May
. In addition to these two main semesters, many colleges offer an optional summer semester or term, which is shorter-typically lasting around 8 to 12 weeks
. This summer term is not always required but can be used to catch up or get ahead on credits. Some colleges use alternative academic calendars such as the quarter system, which divides the year into four terms of about 10 weeks each (fall, winter, spring, and summer)
. However, the semester system with two main semesters per year remains the most common. Summary:
- Number of semesters in a typical college year: 2 (fall and spring)
- Duration of each semester: approximately 15 to 17 weeks
- Optional summer semester available at many schools, shorter in length
- Quarter system schools have 4 terms per year instead of 2 semesters
Therefore, most colleges have two semesters per academic year
