<p>Barium’s 1st post is right on. Also the OP says it all: “U.S. has a big advantage over Europe as far as research/graduate education is concerned, basically because U.S. universities are normally better funded and a have a much larger pool of talented applicants to draw from.” That applies to both UG and G levels (especially the funding part) from what I have seen in our students going to the UK, Europe and the US over the years. I have heard parents discuss that their “students” attending universities in the UK have not had adequate contact hours (classroom, professors etc. )in their education: so much was done on their own. I believe that is an outcome of pure and simple funding. As far as the secondary education being better in Europe: I have my doubts if you break it down by class meaning upper, middle and lower.</p>