student asking question

It may not be relevant to the sentence, but what's the difference between "school" and "academy"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

I am unsure about other countries, but in the United States a "school" is a government funded institution where students go to receive a formal education. Students do not have to usually pay for a public school education unless they go to a "private school." An "academy" is similar to a school, but it may have a "specialty" involved. For example, it may have an emphasis on sciences or languages. Most students go to schools in the United States because academies are expensive. Keep in mind that a "school" does not mean a university. Ex: He spent four years studying at a military academy in Maryland. Ex: I went to a public school growing up.

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