I would not say that EU grads are better than American grads or the opposite. They both have different set of skills and strengths. My experience is the follow

I would not say that EU grads are better than American grads or the opposite. They both have different set of skills and strengths. My experience is the following: I’m an European grad but did my PhD in the USA . In Europe tests were brutal and you had no help whatsoever from the professors. Your grade in a course was 80%-100% a single final test and lots of people would fail. Also, professors would not restraint criticism toward students. In USA students seldom fail, grades are inflated in most universities and they not only depend on tests but also on homework and a variety of activities. They also spend lots of time doing extra activities and “leadership” stuff and learning how to self promote. That being said, I feel that American students end up being much more driven and optimistic and many of them end up trying and succeeding at doing new things.