Ninth grade, freshman year, or grade 9 is the ninth year of

school education State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...

in some school systems. Ninth grade is often the first school year of

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, or the last year of middle/junior high school. In some countries, Grade 9 is the second year of high school. Students are usually 14–15 years old. In the United States, it is often called the

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

year.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, ninth grade is the first year of high school.

Argentina

In Argentina, this is "Second Year" 3 years or (depending on the province) "Third Year". Students are aged 13–14 during the first part of the year and 14-15 during the second part of the year. This is because, in Argentina, there's kindergarten, high school primary school, and secondary school. In some provinces of the country primary is from "1st grade" to "7th grade" and secondary school from "1st year" to "5th year". In other provinces, primary school is from "1st grade" to "6th grade", and secondary school from "1st year" to "6th year" or "7th grade", if the school has it. All technical schools have "7th grade". So basically there are between 12 and 13 (most schools), years of school in the Argentinian Educative System, without counting kindergarten, which can be from 3-6 or 2–5 years old.

Australia

In Australia, secondary school (sometimes referred to as high school) starts in Year 7.

Belgium

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, the 9th grade is called ''derde middelbaar'' in the Dutch-speaking north and ''3e secondaire'' in the French-speaking south. In some bureaus of the country, the 9th grade can be removed from one's educator curriculum to put the student in an appropriate class study level.

Brazil

The minimum age to enter in the ninth grade is 14 years old. All students must be 14 years old before the cut-off date.

Canada

In much of Canada, Grade 9 is the first year of high school (though in some areas they still use the old system of junior and senior high, where grade 9 is the last year of junior high). Some schools combine junior and senior years into one school. In Quebec, Grade 9 is the middle year of its five-year high school program, unlike in the rest of Canada.

Denmark

In Denmark, ninth grade is around the same thing as in Sweden. Afterwards, one can choose to go through tenth grade, but it is not required. The students are 15–16 years old. Ninth grade is the year of first final exams and the last year of "folkeskolen" (the first 10 years of education. Starts from 0th grade to 9th grade). After they can choose the 10th grade, or go to a brand new school of higher education for two (HF, 2-year STX)or three years (STX, HHX, HTX). The first year of higher education is called 1.g (16–17 years old), the second year is 2.g (17-18) and the third year is 3.g (18-19). The age depends on when one started 0th grade and if one took 10th grade. When a student finishes 3.g, they get a white hat (studenterhue), with either a blue or a red ribbon around it. The colour of the ribbon depends on the school (HF = light blue, HTX = dark purple, HHX = blue; STX = red). An education at STX involves all the lessons one can have in Denmark, while HHX and HTX are typically the lessons one chooses. After those two or three years, a student can go to a university/college to get even higher education (usually at the years of 19/20 until they finish). In STX, a student learns Danish, French/Spanish/German/Italian (at least one these), English, math, physics, chemistry, biology, health, Latin, nature geography, GLU (general language understanding), art/drama/media course/music (at least one of these as artistic lessons), history, psychology/philosophy, classical studies, and social studies. In HHX, HTX a student chooses some of these lessons. A student can have the lessons on an A-level (means every three years), B-level (two of the years), C-level (one of the years). In STX a student must have Danish and history at an A-level, and English at either A or B. The rest can be made up by choice, and it can be changed. The levels of the lessons also depend on the subject line one chose. There are the linguistic lines, the social study lines, the math lines, the chemistry lines, the physics lines, the biotech lines, the music lines and sports lines. Health lessons are either on a C or B-level, but no matter what one chose they have it every year. A student goes to exams in 1.g, 2.g and 3.g. The grades are following (starting with the worst, ending with the best): -3: unacceptable. 00: failed. 02: acceptable. 4: low average. 7: high average. 10: over the average. 12: much over the average.

Finland

In Finland, ninth grade is the last year of compulsory schooling. The students are usually 14 – 16 years old. Afterwards, they can choose to go through tenth grade but it is not required. The meaning of tenth grade is to allow improving grades.

France

In France, the equivalent grade is the ''troisième'' or "3^e" and it is the final middle school year before high school. Students prepare to take the " Diplôme National du Brevet" (DNB) examination - it's the first diploma given to French students, and attests of basic levels in major high school disciplines (French, Mathematics, History and Geography and sciences. They also have an oral on a subject they have to choose. And the grades of all the year of 3^e also counts for the results). This diploma is not necessary to proceed on to high school.

Germany

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, the equivalent grade is 9. Klasse.

Greece

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, ninth grade is called third year of

gymnasium school ''Gymnasium'' (and variations of the word) is a term in various European languages for a secondary school that prepares students for higher education at a university. It is comparable to the US English term '' preparatory high school''. Bef ...

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

or lower secondary school (Triti Gymnasiou - Τρίτη Γυμνασίου)

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, 9th grade is called Form 3/ Secondary 3. Students finishing Form 3 are needed to select their electives for them to study in

Grade 10 Tenth grade or grade 10 (called Year Eleven in England and Wales, and sophomore year in the US) is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten or the tenth year after the first introductory year upon entering compulsory schooling. In many parts of ...

(Form 4),

Grade 11 Eleventh grade, 11th grade, junior year, or grade 11 (called Year 12 in Wales and England and fifth form in Jamaica) is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16–17 years of age, depending ...

(Form 5)and

Grade 12 Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

(Form 6). Some special schools made their students choose their electives after 8th grade (form 2)

India

After the

National Education Policy 2020 The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), which was started by the Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of new education system of India. The new policy replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1 ...

9th grade in India is the freshman year of high school. In the 9th grade students get to choose 5 subjects of their choice. Mathematics, English, Science and Social Science are compulsory. There are various options for the second language like

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

. 9th grade is also important as it is the preparatory year for the 10th standard Board exams that will serve as the 1st exam out of 2 in order to pass out of high school.

Ireland

In Ireland, it is the Third Year or Tríú Bhliain of Secondary School (for 14- and 15-year-olds) this is known as 3rd year. This year is the year students take the

Junior Certificate Junior Cycle ( ga, An tSraith Shóisearach ) is the first stage of the education programme for post-primary education within the Republic of Ireland. It is overseen by the State Examinations Commission of the Department of Education, the State ...

or Teastas Sóisearach.

Italy

In Italy, it is the first year of the upper secondary school (which translates into ''Scuola secondaria di secondo grado'', informally called ''Scuola Superiore''). In Italy ninth grade is called ''prima superiore''. Usually, students are between 14 and 15 years old.

Kuwait

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

, ninth grade is the last year of middle school.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, the equivalent of 9th grade is Form 3 (Tingkatan 3). Students are 15 years old, and it is their third year of secondary school. In Form 3, all students are required to sit for a mandatory exam throughout all government schools called PT3 (Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3, or Form 3 Assessment). Upon receiving their results, students will be allowed to choose a stream (the subjects of their focus for the next year) of their choice, depending on their results, which will then allow them to proceed to Form 4 in the following year.

Mexico

In Mexico, ninth grade is the last year of middle school. The students are aged 14–15.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, Year 10 (formerly Form 4) is the equivalent of ninth grade, with students aged 14 or 15 during the year. It is the second year of secondary school and the tenth year of compulsory education. Students in Year 10 typically study English, mathematics, science, social science, and health and physical education, with students electing subjects out of the arts, technology, and learning a language.

Norway

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, 9th grade is the middle grade of middle school, "''ungdomskolen". Students are 14–15 years old.''

Pakistan

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, 9th grade has a great importance as it is the base of higher education and is part of High School. At this level students are allowed to choose subjects of their will. These subjects are: *

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

Computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

Arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

The compulsory subjects are: *

Math Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

English Language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

Islamiyat Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...

Pakistan studies Pakistan studies curriculum (Urdu: ') is the name of a curriculum of academic research and study that encompasses the culture, demographics, geography, history, International Relations and politics of Pakistan. The subject is widely research ...

Marks of grade 9 are half of collective 9th and 10th marks.

Philippines

In the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, Grade 9 or Junior Year ( fil, Baitang Siyam) is the third year of Junior High School and High School curriculum. Topics mainly discussed are the following subjects like, for the major subjects are Geometry (Math in Grade 9), Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Earth Science (Science in Grade 9), Filipino subject with Noli Me Tangere, Anglo-American Literature (English) and Philippine Economical Study (Political Studies in Grade 9). Values Education, MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health), Computer and TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education) are some of the minor subjects. Students are usually 14–15 or 13-14 years old. It was formerly named as ''3rd Year'' or ''Year III'' ( fil, Ikatlong Taon, links=no) until it changed to ''Grade 9'' on June 2, 2014 upon the start of School Year 2014-2015 due to the implementation of the

K-12 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquired ...

curriculum.

Portugal

In Portugal, the ninth grade (''nono ano'', ''9º ano'') is the last year of the three-year ''3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico'' that also includes the

seventh grade Seventh grade (or grade seven) is a year or level of education. The seventh grade is the eighth school year, the second or third year of middle school, and the first year of junior high school. Students are around 13-14 years old in this stage of ...

and the

eighth grade Eighth grade (or grade eight in some regions) is the eighth post-kindergarten year of formal education in the US. The eighth grade is the ninth school year, the second, third, fourth, or final year of middle school, or the second and/or final ye ...

. It is followed by the

tenth grade Tenth grade or grade 10 (called Year Eleven in England and Wales, and sophomore year in the US) is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten or the tenth year after the first introductory year upon entering compulsory schooling. In many parts of ...

, the first year of the three-year ''Ensino Secundário''. At the end of the ninth grade, students must take national final exams (''Provas finais nacionais'').

Singapore

In Singapore, 9th grade is called Secondary 3, and it is the third year of one's secondary education. Students are usually 15 years old.

Spain

Ninth Grade in Spanish is called 3º de ESO (Tercero de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria), as it is the third year of the compulsory secondary education. Students are usually 14–15 years old. A secondary school in Spain has a four-year duration. Students in Spain generally start secondary school at the age of 12 and finish at the age of 16. The school year starts in September and lasts until the next year in June.

Sweden

In Sweden, ninth grade is the last year of högstadiet (Middle school). The students are usually between 15 and 16 years old. That makes ninth grade an important grade for almost every student.

United Kingdom

England and Wales

In English and Welsh schools, 9th grade is equivalent to

Year 10 Year 10 is the tenth year of compulsory education in schools in many countries including England, Australia, India, Northern Ireland, New Zealand and Wales. It is the tenth or eleventh year of compulsory education. It is approximately equivalent ...

(called Year 11 in Northern Ireland), and is for those aged 14 to 15. Some 93 per cent of school children in

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...

attend state-funded comprehensive, secondary, or

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

s, which most enter at the age of 11, taking

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

exams at the end of the

academic year An academic year or school year is a period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study. School holiday School holidays (also referred to as vacations, breaks, and recess) are the periods during which sch ...

(September 1 – August 31) in which their 16th birthday falls. Compulsory education continues beyond 16, when state-funded students can choose to remain at school in the "Sixth Form" or attend a

sixth form college A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate Di ...

further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. I ...

college to take AS levels and

A-levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

or follow vocational courses or apprenticeships. In

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

s, most children enter at the age of 13 and leave after A-levels, aged 18. In these schools, Year 10 is typically the second year of education.

Scotland

In Scotland, this is the third year (or S3) of a state-funded secondary school. Most children are aged 14–15. In S3 students will pick subjects to study for " National 4/5 exams" in S4, which are the qualifications they will need for college and or university. In independent schools the position is as for England and Wales.

United States

In the United States, ninth grade is usually the first year in

. In this system, ninth graders are also often referred to as ''

freshmen A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

''. It can also be the last year of junior high school. The typical age for U.S. 9th grade students is 14 to 15 years. In the

math Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

, ninth graders are usually taught algebra, but advanced math includes

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

algebra II In contemporary education, mathematics education, known in Europe as the didactics or pedagogy of mathematics – is the practice of teaching, learning and carrying out scholarly research into the transfer of mathematical knowledge. Although re ...

. Advanced courses are usually available to ninth graders who are prepared for a more rigorous curriculum, depending on the school district. Some districts across the country allow their 10th graders to take

trigonometry Trigonometry () is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships between side lengths and angles of triangles. The field emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BC from applications of geometry to astronomical studies. T ...

AP Statistics Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics (also known as AP Stats) is a college-level high school statistics course offered in the United States through the College Board's Advanced Placement program. This course is equivalent to a one semester, non-ca ...

, or even

calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

if the district provides, but most often, the highest level available to be taken as a 10th grader is

pre-calculus In mathematics education, precalculus is a course, or a set of courses, that includes algebra and trigonometry at a level which is designed to prepare students for the study of calculus. Schools often distinguish between algebra and trigonometr ...

. In the English

, most schools still have the same levels of basic courses, advanced courses, and honors courses. The basic level for a 9th grader is often listed as English I (may also be called English 9). This course will often teach the fundamentals of higher-level literature and how to analyze and respond to such literature. The advanced course is often English II (may also be called English 10) depending on the school district and is usually a genre studies type of English class, but it may instead be focused on one type of literature, such as

American literature American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...

British literature British literature is literature from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. This article covers British literature in the English language. Anglo-Saxon (Old English) literature is inc ...

. In the social studies

, there is a variety of different courses that may be offered. Most often, though, the course is either a

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

class, a

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

class, or a

world history World history may refer to: * Human history, the history of human beings * History of Earth, the history of planet Earth * World history (field), a field of historical study that takes a global perspective * ''World History'' (album), a 1998 albu ...

class. In the

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, ninth grade students are required, in most areas, to take

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

. Most high school students are required to have one

carnegie unit The Carnegie Unit and the Student Hour are strictly time-based references for measuring educational attainment used by American universities and colleges; the Carnegie Unit assesses secondary school attainment, and the Student Hour, derived from the ...

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, one unit of

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...

, and one unit of

health education Health education is a profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health, as well as sexual and r ...

to graduate. Students are usually offered

foreign language A foreign language is a language that is not an official language of, nor typically spoken in, a given country, and that native speakers from that country must usually acquire through conscious learning - be this through language lessons at schoo ...

this year. This is often the first introduction of a foreign language to the students. The average cutoff date is generally variable, but on average being somewhere between August 31st and September 30th.