Even though compulsory education ends in Japan at the end of junior high school, meaning 9th grade, nearly all students go on to high school. However, there are many different types of high schools in Japan, ranging from high level academic high schools to vocational and agricultural high schools. In addition, there are both public and private schools as well. Most of the top schools in the country are public schools. Academic high schools are not all the same. Some send nearly all of their graduates on to college, while others send only a handful. Although the instructional material covered may be similar in academic highs schools, the higher level schools tend to cover more material and cover it faster than lower level ones do. Vocational and agricultural high schools are designed to provide their students with the skills necessary to succeed in their chosen profession. Most of the graduates from these schools do not continue on to a four-year college, but some will continue on to a special training school after high school graduation, No matter what type of high school a student wants to attend, he or she will have to take an entrance exam to do so.