An academic degree is a certification students get when they graduate from a university. It shows they successfully completed their classes, and passed a final examination.

It is an official credential. The length of courses, and the number of courses vary depending on which university is attended. In the United States, high schools give out diplomas to graduating students. These are not degrees.

There are hundreds of different academic degrees, but they are often grouped into a few categories:

• Associate degree: this is typically a 2-year degree, often obtained at a community college in the United States and Canada or junior college in some other countries.
• Bachelor's degree: this is typically a 3 or 4-year degree.