Graduation Year Calculator (when school and university finish, by grade)

Understanding the graduation year calculator — concept and principle

This calculator works out the year a student will finish primary school, lower secondary and secondary school, and a bachelor's degree, from the current grade and today's date, for South Korea, Japan, England and the United States. Parents use it for planning, and it helps when comparing school systems across countries.

How it is calculated

1. The school year is found from the date: Korea starts on 1 March, Japan on 1 April, England and the US in September.
2. Start year = the calendar year in which the current school year began.
3. End of grade G = start year + (G − current grade) + 1.
4. Secondary school ends after grade 12 (Korea, Japan, US) or Year 13 (England).
5. Bachelor's degree = secondary end + 4 years (3 for most degrees in England), assuming university starts straight after school.

The principle

Every school year is one grade, so finishing grade G from the current grade takes G − current + 1 school years, counting this one. The only subtlety is where the school year starts: a date in November belongs to a school year that started in March (Korea) or September (US). Korea and Japan both have 6 years of elementary, 3 of middle and 3 of high school, and graduate in February (Korea) or March (Japan). The calculator gives the calendar year in which the final school year ends.

Worked example

Default inputs: South Korea, grade 8 (second year of middle school), date Nov 10, 2026.

1. November is after March, so the school year started in 2026 (shown as 2026–27).
2. High school ends after grade 12: 2026 + (12 − 8) + 1 = 2031, usually in February.
3. Middle school (lower secondary) ends after grade 9: 2026 + 1 + 1 = 2028.
4. Primary already finished, so it shows —.
5. Bachelor's degree = 2031 + 4 = 2035; school years left including this one = 5.

How to read the result

The result assumes a normal path with no repeated or skipped years, gap years or military service. In Korea, male students who do military service during university usually graduate later than the bachelor's figure suggests. For the US, middle and elementary school boundaries vary by district.

Common mistakes

• Entering a Korean middle-school year (중2) as 2 instead of grade 8.
• Using a date in January or February in Korea and expecting the new school year.
• Assuming university always takes four years.
• Forgetting differences between countries when a family moves.

Frequently asked questions

When does a Korean middle-school second-year student graduate from high school?

In February 2031, if they are in grade 8 during the 2026 school year.

When does the school year start in Korea?

On 1 March, ending at the end of February.

How many grades are there before university?

12 in Korea, Japan and the US; 13 years (Year 1 to Year 13) in England.

Sources: 초·중등교육법 (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) and Enforcement Decree, Article 44 (school year) · GOV.UK, "The national curriculum"; NCES, Digest of Education Statistics