| Acknowledgement | 第1-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-7页 |
| 内容提要 | 第7-8页 |
| Introduction | 第8-10页 |
| Chapter 1 History of the Development of American Higher Education | 第10-20页 |
| ·Phase of Founding Colleges 1636-1776 | 第10-12页 |
| ·Phase of Experiment and Diversity 1776-1865 | 第12-13页 |
| ·Rise of the American University 1866-1917 | 第13-16页 |
| ·Expansion of Higher Education 1918-1990 | 第16-20页 |
| Chapter 2 Characteristics of American Higher Education | 第20-25页 |
| ·Diversity of American Higher Education Structure | 第20页 |
| ·Multilevel of American Institutes of Higher Learning | 第20-21页 |
| ·Flexibility of Administration and Teaching | 第21-22页 |
| ·Independence of Running Schools | 第22-23页 |
| ·Openness of Ways of Running Schools and Teaching Patterns | 第23-25页 |
| Chapter 3 Problems Facing American Higher Education | 第25-29页 |
| ·Financial Difficulties | 第25-26页 |
| ·Decline of Undergraduate Education Quality | 第26-27页 |
| ·Problem of How to Meet the Great Social Demand for Higher Education | 第27-29页 |
| Chapter 4 Factors Influencing American Higher Education | 第29-33页 |
| ·Political Factor | 第29-30页 |
| ·Scientific and Technological Factor | 第30-31页 |
| ·Economic Factor | 第31-32页 |
| ·Social Factor | 第32-33页 |
| Chapter 5 Current American Higher Education | 第33-46页 |
| ·Emphasis on Undergraduate Education | 第33-37页 |
| ·Development of Distance Education on a Large Scale | 第37-38页 |
| ·Reduction of Cost and Improvement of the Benefit of Running Schools | 第38-39页 |
| ·Acceleration of the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Advances | 第39-41页 |
| ·Internationalization of Higher Education | 第41-46页 |
| Chapter 6 Implications for Chinese Higher Education Reform | 第46-51页 |
| ·Implication for Curriculum Reform: Stress on General Education | 第46-47页 |
| ·Implication for Financial Reform: Reduction of the Cost of Running Schools | 第47-48页 |
| ·Implication for Teaching Means Reform: Great Development of Distance Education | 第48-49页 |
| ·Implication for Scientific Research Reform: Good Transfer of Scientific and Technological Advances | 第49-50页 |
| ·Implication for Educational Thought Reform: Educational Internationalization | 第50-51页 |
| Conclusion | 第51-53页 |
| Bibliography | 第53-57页 |
