The Nordic country Finland has reformed their education system to outperform other countries year after year. All the while, their students spend less time in school and less time on homework. Meanwhile, the United States has endured hardship after hardship and struggles to stick to one educational reform. American students spend hours in school and hours on homework after school. Yet, they still fall short in comparison to other countries, especially Finland. This thesis analyzes the major differences (and some similarities) between Finland and the United States: government role in education, factors in the classroom, and teacher preparation and respect.