academic year

American  

noun

1. the customary annual period of instruction at a college, university, etc., running approximately from September to June.

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Etymology

Origin of academic year

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

For the 2025-2026 academic year, new enrollments of international students in the U.S. declined by 17%.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Los Angeles County public school enrollment for the 2025-26 academic year decreased from the prior year by 32,953 students, or 2.6%, to 1,242,816.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

In a recent email to faculty, Claybaugh said A’s fell to 53.4% in the fall semester from 60.2% in the prior academic year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In the last academic year, 75% of Year 6 students achieved the expected standard of reading in their SATs.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

As sixth graders who were taking the test in the eighth month of the academic year, these students needed to achieve an average score of 6.8 to be considered up to national standards.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt