What is the difference between a quarter and a semester? Follow
Each college has an academic year with terms marking the beginning and end of classes. Universities and colleges will either be on a quarter or semester system. A quarter is 10 weeks in length and there are usually four quarters (fall, winter, spring, and summer) in an academic year. A semester is 16 to 18 weeks in length, and there are two semesters (fall and spring) with a shorter summer session, and sometimes a winter session, in an academic year.