This article provides a comparison of the history and current standing of the European and American models of higher education. The author describes how European universities came to be first, and while American universities were based heavily on their structure, they were not nearly as successful, with many U.S. institutions at the top of national ratings, leaving their European counterparts behind. After World War II, Europe implemented the Bologna process, which allowed universities to standardize their curriculum and degree programs, making it much easier for students to earn their degrees in just a few years and transfer credits between institutions if they desired to do so, allowing for student mobility. The United States's approach to university has remained successful because of limited government involvement in funding, but with constantly rising tuition, may eventually end up limiting access to education to those with a lower income. The article closes by expanding ou