This article presents lists of countries by tertiary education attainment rate, and the number of people who attained tertiary education.
Tertiary education is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including universities as well as institutions that teach specific capacities of higher learning such as colleges, technical training institutes, community colleges, nursing schools, research laboratories, centers of excellence, and distance learning centers.
National statistics This is a list of the overall proportion of the population who have attained tertiary education (at least ISCED 5) in each country. Whenever possible, the proportion is calculated from only those aged 25 and above, as this largely excludes the people who are still in the process of attaining tertiary education and yields a more accurate percentage.
Country/Territory Year Age Included PopulationExcluding invalid categories (e.g. "unknown" or "not stated") whenever possible.Attained tertiary educationReferring to completion whenever possible.Ref#%2022≥ 251,742,061343,75619.732008≥ 67.62020≥ 2525,7245,86722.812024≥ 1838.22014≥ 249,300,000: the figure is calculated using ratio and is an approximation234,6762.52011≥ 2548,3055,10110.56 2022≥ 2528,249,0415,541,31019.62 2022 ≥ 252,052,168561,212 27.35 2010≥ 2566,1808,430 - 15,31812.74 - 23.15MBO, classified as secondary vocational education (level 3) by Netherlands, was listed as level 5 (associate level) under ISCED 1997 by Aruba; thus, it was unclear if the entire MBO is considered tertiary. Both figures are included due to the great variation between them. 2021≥ 2516,173,8717,011,329 43.35Including the external territories of Australia that are inhabited: Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island, and Christmas Island. 2021 ≥ 256,740,769 1,709,681 25.36Including people who completed College for higher vocational education, the 5th year of which was considered non-university tertiary education. 2019 ≥ 256,260,7691,086,98517.36 2010≥ 25197,35445,09522.852020≥ 251,018,593333,44832.74 2022≥ 2586,349,1807,367,7208.532010≥ 15181,99728,77415.81Of the 168,192 people above the age of 15 not attending school full time, 28,774 attained tertiary education. Another 13,005 people were attending school full time, amongst which the completion rate of tertiary education was not reported. Hence this is likely an underestimate. 2019 ≥ 256,889,605 1,950,002 28.30 2021 ≥ 257,757,249 2,521,87432.51 2010≥ 14284,99941,51414.57 2002≥ 15 1.92016≥ 2548,06219,614 - 14,95140.81 - 31.11The population who attained a Bermuda College Diploma is listed as a single group without further breakdown: this group includes diplomas classified as either "post-secondary non-tertiary" or "short-cycle tertiary" by UNESCO. Both figures are included due to the great variation between them. 2017≥ 6655,003 59,052 9.02 2012 ≥ 195,919,871 1,431,68124.18 2013 ≥ 252,516,642 350,14013.91 2024≥ 25142,271,000 29,236,00020.552010≥ 025,3415,93923.442021≥ 15334,70960,73018.14 2021≥ 155,602,067 1,560,028 27.85 2019 ≥ 256,544,840 216,000 3.3 2008 ≥ 154,336,870 22,585 0.522022≥ 15352,49432,1279.11 2019≥ 256,852,692 320,671 4.68 2005≥ 154,995,897 334,961 6.70 2021≥ 2526,154,860 13,762,145 52.622021≥ 1556,45522,36839.62 2003≥ 10 0.44 2009 ≥ 155,388,233 46,1650.86 2024≥ 1515,205,784 5,711,29937.562020≥ 251,008,768,971162,631,83016.12Including Mainland China only. 2018≥ 2525,985,257 6,752,12325.982017≥ 3582,19955,2239.492021≥ 259,0602,22824.592022≥ 1730.7 2021 ≥ 252,920,444 761,832 26.092012≥ 257,713,9791,103,99214.312023≥ 15126,17524,00919.03 2021≥ 15756,006 262,317 34.70 2021≥ 257,865,508 1,508,534 19.18 202425 - 693,363,717 1,516,970 45.10Excluding Greenland and Faroe Islands, which are territories of the Danish Realm outside of (Metropolitan) Denmark. 2024≥ 5882,59466,7687.562011≥ 2541,5417,42117.86 2022≥ 255,719,910 1,553,93427.17 2022≥ 259,596,261 2,251,98323.47 Including those who had studied in higher technical and technological institutes for at least three years or universities for at least four years. 2017 ≥ 2545,099,314 7,439,798 16.502024≥ 253,627,212524,74214.47 2021 ≥ 25961,655 306,47231.87 2007 ≥ 1540,566,742 434,071 1.072024≥ 15989,54671,0007.22011≥ 2531,26510,14532.452010≥ 2544,7975,17911.56 2024≥ 254,182,767 1,615,34738.62 2022≥ 2547,199,817 15,889,79033.66Including Metropolitan France and all of the overseas departments and regions of France besides Mayotte. 2022≥ 15 17.902013≥ 151,131,234144,00012.7 2013≥ 121,195,362 36,9903.09 2014≥ 252,492,021 806,94532.38 2024 ≥ 2562,750,000 19,987,00031.85 2021≥ 1519,873,607 1,535,9457.732012≥ 2522,3364,34019.43 2021 ≥ 159,065,506 2,208,82324.37202325 - 7436,4905,84216.012011≥ 1579,66116,00320.09 2018≥ 256,752,100 543,3158.05 2014≥ 155,787,192 237,0004.10 2009≥ 6598,946 5,6880.952012≥ 15504,32539,0937.75 2003≥ 253,518,910 63,7981.81 2013≥ 253,530,843 242,5446.872021≥ 255,700,0781,868,78332.79 2022 ≥ 257,215,169 1,779,60124.66 2021≥ 25244,65484,77034.65 2011 ≥ 15836,017,747 68,288,9718.17 2022≥ 25164,922,951 17,748,54310.76 2016≥ 2548,849,238 10,469,554 21.43 2022≥ 252,998,525 1,454,67148.51Interpret with caution: all figures excluded people who were still in school. 2024≥ 255,579,274 2,152,99038.59 2022≥ 2545,819,650 8,427,49018.392011≥ 251,408,708194,16013.78 2020≥ 2582,225,982 34,327,16841.75Of the 96,709,823 people aged 25 and above, 96,373,910 had graduated, 90,063 never went to school, 245,829 were still in school, and the educational status for 21 people was unknown. Of the 96,373,910 who had graduated, the education attainment of 81,901,699 people was known, and of them 34,235,370 attained tertiary education. Of the 245,829 people aged 25 or above who were still in school, the education attainment of 243,220 were known, and of them 91,798 were in graduate school (i.e. completed a tertiary degree already). As a result, in total, the educational attainment for 82,225,982 people aged 25 or above were known, and of them 34,327,168 attained tertiary education.2021≥ 1686,79133,37638.46 2015≥ 24/254,327,907 1,212,18728.01Of the 4,267,495 people aged 25 and above not enrolled in schools, 1,197,236 people attained tertiary education, and of the 60,412 people aged 24 and above still enrolled in schools, 14,951 were enrolled in higher diploma or above. 2021≥ 2511,936,493 3,424,78328.69 2019≥ 2023,474,583 1,252,7165.34Interpret with caution: likely to be an underestimate due to the exclusion of Middle Level/Technical Vocational Education.2020≥ 1576,5142,9453.852024≥ 101,360,584216,60915.922021≥ 252,933,273446,69015.23 2022 ≥ 154,645,714 1,139,60924.53 2015 ≥ 104,994,656 398,9587.99 2021 ≥ 251,390,240 482,25134.69 2022≥ 34,955,227 215,7664.352006≥ 252,485,141280,56911.292020≥ 2529,2419,63132.94 2024 15 - 892,468,600 953,10038.612021≥ 25469,013171,42336.552021≥ 25418,160133,49931.93 2021 ≥ 251,278,188 287,04522.462020≥ 2529,4498,73329.652018≥ 258,969,811 408,937 4.56 2018≥ 515,011,343 202,0371.352024≥ 1526,493,800 5,981,400 22.582022≥ 25212,73062,06029.17 2022≥ 1511,280,253 492,9374.372022≥ 15455,430116,83025.652021≥ 2518,6763,48818.68 2013≥ 102,385,160 50,9052.132022≥ 25870,341109,37712.572017≥ 25100,00713,75713.76 2020≥ 2572,655,542 13,638,50918.77 2024≥ 251,690,201 391,85323.18 2016≥ 2529,069 14,243 49.00 2020≥ 251,712,149 584,84834.16 2023≥ 25440,553 128,59929.192023≥ 153,50772920.79 2024 ≥ 10 10.2 2017 ≥ 259,065,684 213,5102.362014≥ 2526,923,2732,411,2228.96 2023 ≥ 6/151,482,122 - 1,240,048 146,5619.89 - 11.82Amongst the 1,240,048 people who attended school previously were known, 146,561 completed tertiary education. Another 242,074 people aged 6 and above never attended school: it was unclear how many of them were above 15, so both figures are included in the total count. 2021≥ 254,6362956.36 2021 ≥ 1521,049,003 1,371,7616.52 202315 - 7513,505,330 4,390,90032.512019≥ 25171,524 40,041 23.34 2023≥ 253,312,000 1,356,10840.95Excluding Cook Islands and Niue, which are in free association with New Zealand.2005≥ 252,077,673207,3509.98 2012≥ 255,188,405 99,4001.92 2007≥ 2553,360,995 9,088,47817.03 2022≥ 25971 273 28.12 2024 ≥ 254,023,987 1,815,792 45.122020≥ 252,711,901468,87517.29 2023≥ 2598,301,519 8,696,7968.852020≥ 2512,1183,82931.602017≥ 251,883,344546,74829.03Of the 31,728 people aged 25 and above who were attending school, 11,091 attained tertiary education. Of the 1,851,616 people aged 25 and above who were not attending school, 536,357 attained tertiary education. 2023 ≥ 252,378,027 713,40130.002022≥ 253,220,932809,98525.15 2017≥ 2516,696,619 4,298,89325.75 2020≥ 2554,669,916 18,633,97334.08 2021≥ 2527,777,217 7,743,92227.882022≥ 252,400,393949,88339.57 2021≥ 257,923,791 1,645,13720.76 2021≥ 1515,979,913 3,047,11319.07 2021≥ 2590,263,599 28,619,81031.71Including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. 2022 ≥ 255,601,492 310,3975.54 2020≥ 252,095,843722,97734.502022≥ 258,0202,73734.132022≥ 0162,96524,95315.312022≥ 2520,3933,82718.772022≥ 254,4181,08724.602012≥ 1577,8584,4035.662021≥ 15126,13120,46016.222025≥ 027,5975,16318.712012≥ 2569,6892,2023.16 2024≥ 25 40.06 2023 ≥ 15 6.4 2022≥ 254,996,864 903,16318.07Excluding the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, which was under the de facto control of Kosovo since 2008. 2022≥ 1565,51112,77219.50 2015≥ 65,892,865 98,4881.672020≥ 252,977,7671,438,78848.322011≥ 2519,0344,39323.07 2021 ≥ 253,849,567 962,58425.00 2024≥ 251,604,327 459,28128.632019≥ 25313,79540,24412.82 2022 ≥ 2037,577,988 4,602,76512.25 2020≥ 2538,342,229 16,016,14841.77 2021 ≥ 2535,892,336 12,025,25633.502012≥ 1515,227,773499,5633.28(Now Sudan)2008≥ 2511,583,463756,2206.53 Sudan (Southern) (Now South Sudan)2008≥ 252,669,34062,9572.362012≥ 15351,45328,3458.07 2017≥ 10 13.0 2024≥ 257,408,799 3,254,678 - 2,090,54843.93 - 28.22Population who completed a post-secondary education for less than three years (e.g. short cycle tertiary education, post-secondary non-tertiary education) is listed as a single group without further breakdown: the group partially includes those who have attained tertiary education; both figures are included due to the great variation between them. 2023 ≥ 256,320,430 2,622,99941.50 2004≥ 256,643,167 695,44210.47 2020≥ 254,427,513 374,2888.45 2022 ≥ 1534,475,324 1,852,5965.37 2010≥ 2543,149,847 7,076,75916.402022≥ 15873,93097,77111.19 2014≥ 109,111,069 847,4649.30 2021≥ 1563,529,344 13,265,86120.882022≥ 253,854,184369,5459.592017≥ 255,26485116.17 2024≥ 1031,312,980 1,774,6145.67 2020≥ 1532,075,800 8,445,20026.33 2023≥ 15 39.8Calculated from available data: of the 78.5% of population who participated in labour force, 40.3% attained tertiary education; of the remaining 21.5% of the population outside of labour force, 38.1% attained tertiary education. As a result, about 39.8% of the population attained tertiary education. 2021≥ 2547,527,528 17,508,67236.84Including 15,185,055 people in England and Wales, 1,876,121 in Scotland, and 447,496 people in Northern Ireland who attained tertiary education. Excluding Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, and all British Overseas Territories. 2022 ≥ 25226,600,992 97,567,07943.06Excluding all organized, unincorporated territories of the United States.2020≥ 2562,22116,80927.012023≥ 2525.02020≥ 15179,3023,4781.94 2011≥ 2514,144,7183,517,000 24.86 2019≥ 15 12.62023≥ 207,7381,01213.08 2004≥ 1013,578,032 450,690 3.32 2022≥ 3 2.9 75.1% of the population aged 3 and above have attended school; of them, 3.8% attained tertiary education (at least diploma level), which yields a total attainment rate of 2.9%. 2022 ≥ 159,046,415 662,9757.33
2022 OECD data This is a list of countries by the proportions of 25- to 64-year-olds having completed tertiary education as published by the OECD. This list includes non-OECD member countries: Argentina, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, and South Africa.