List of countries by tertiary education attainment

description

This is a list of countries by 25- to 64-year-olds having completed tertiary education as published by the OECD. It includes some non-OECD nations.

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.^[1]

2019 OECD data[]

Tertiary education attainment by age group

This list includes non-OECD member countries: Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.^[2]

Country	Age 25–64 (%)	Age				Year	Non-OECD
Country	Age 25–64 (%)	25–34 (%)	35–44 (%)	45–54 (%)	55–64 (%)	Year	Non-OECD
Australia	42	48	46	38	33	2014
Austria	30	38	33	27	21	2014
Belgium	37	44	42	34	26	2014
Brazil	14	15	14	14	11	2013
Canada	54	58	61	51	45	2014
Chile	21	27	24	17	14	2013
China	17	27	15	7	2	2018
Colombia	22	28	23	18	16	2014
Costa Rica	18	21	19	17	17	2014
Czech Republic	22	30	21	20	15	2014
Denmark	36	42	41	33	29	2014
Estonia	38	40	39	35	36	2014
Finland	42	40	50	44	34	2014
France	32	44	39	26	20	2013
Germany	27	28	29	26	25	2014
Greece	28	39	27	26	21	2014
Hungary	23	32	25	20	17	2014
Iceland	37	41	42	36	29	2014
Indonesia	8	10	9	8	4	2011
Ireland	41	51	49	34	24	2014
Israel	49	46	53	48	47	2014
Italy	17	24	19	13	12	2014
Japan	48	59	53	47	35	2014
Latvia	30	39	31	27	23	2014
Lithuania	37	53	38	30	28	2014
Luxembourg	46	53	56	40	32	2014
Mexico	19	25	17	16	13	2014
Netherlands	34	44	38	30	27	2014
New Zealand	36	40	41	32	29	2014
Norway	42	49	49	36	32	2014
Poland	27	43	32	18	14	2014
Portugal	22	31	26	17	13	2014
Russia	54	58	55	53	50	2013
Saudi Arabia	22	26	22	18	14	2013
Slovakia	20	30	21	15	14	2014
Slovenia	29	38	35	24	18	2014
South Africa	7	5	7	8	7	2012
South Korea	45	68	56	33	17	2014
Spain	35	41	43	30	21	2014
Sweden	39	46	46	32	30	2014
Switzerland	40	46	45	38	31	2014
Turkey	17	25	16	10	10	2014
Taiwan^[3]	45	X	X	X	X	2015
United Kingdom	42	49	46	38	35	2014
United States	44	46	47	43	41	2014

Countries by level of tertiary education[]

This is a list of countries by the level of tertiary education completed by 25–34 year olds measured by the percent of the population. This list contains the percentage of 25–34 year olds that have obtained at least a 2-year tertiary degree or its equivalent (an associate degree in the United States); the percentage of 25–34 year olds that have completed a 4-year degree or higher (a bachelor's degree in the United States); and the percentage of 25–34 year olds that have completed a 6-year degree or higher (a master's degree in the United States).^[4]

Country	Age 25–34			Year	Non-OECD
Country	Equivalent to a 2-year degree or higher (%)	Equivalent to a 4-year degree or higher (%)	Equivalent to a 6-year degree or higher (%)	Year	Non-OECD
Australia	48	39	9	2015
Austria	39	24	15	2015
Belgium	43	43	20	2015
Brazil	16	16	NA	2014
Canada	59	34	9	2015
Chile	27	19	1	2013
China	35.8	17.8	2.3	2020^[5]
Colombia	27	27	NA	2015
Costa Rica	28	18	1	2015
Czech Republic	31	31	20	2015
Denmark	44	40	17	2015
Estonia	41	39	16	2015
Finland	41	41	14	2015
France	45	28	16	2014
Germany	30	28	13	2015
Greece	40	39	3	2015
Hungary	32	29	13	2015
Iceland	40	37	11	2015
Indonesia	11	11	NA	2013
Ireland	52	40	11	2015
Israel	46	35	17	2015
Italy	25	25	15	2015
Japan	60	40	NA	2015
Latvia	40	35	12	2015
Lithuania	55	55	17	2015
Luxembourg	50	44	27	2015
Mexico	21	20	1	2015
Netherlands	45	44	17	2015
New Zealand	39	36	4	2015
Norway	48	34	13	2015
Poland	43	43	31	2015
Portugal	33	33	21	2015
Russia	58	58	NA	2013
Saudi Arabia	26	26	NA	2014
Slovakia	31	31	25	2015
Slovenia	41	34	24	2015
South Africa	14	14	NA	2014
South Korea	69	47	NA	2015
Spain	41	28	17	2015
Sweden	46	35	14	2015
Switzerland	49	49	23	2015
Turkey	28	19	2	2015
United Kingdom	49	42	14	2015
United States	47	36	10	2015

Notes[]

^ "Tertiary Education (Higher Education)". The World Bank.
^ "OECD.Stat Education and Training > Education at a Glance > Educational attainment and labor-force status > Educational attainment of 25-64 year-olds". OECD.
^ "Higher Education Crisis in Taiwan | The World View".
^ http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/education-at-a-glance-2016_eag-2016-en#page44 OECD Education at a glance 2016
^ National Bureau of Statistics of China. "Table 2-25 Population Aged 6 and over by Age, Gender and Education Attainment". China Statistical Yearbook 2021.

References[]

Brick, Jean (2006). "What is academic culture?". Academic Culture: A Student's Guide to Studying at University. Sydney, N.S.W: National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research. pp. 1–10. ISBN 978-1-74138-135-1.

External links[]

[1] "Tertiary Education (Higher Education)". The World Bank.

[2] "OECD.Stat Education and Training > Education at a Glance > Educational attainment and labor-force status > Educational attainment of 25-64 year-olds". OECD.

[3] "Higher Education Crisis in Taiwan | The World View".

[4] ttp://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/education-at-a-glance-2016_eag-2016-en#page44 OECD Education at a glance 2016

[5] National Bureau of Statistics of China. "Table 2-25 Population Aged 6 and over by Age, Gender and Education Attainment". China Statistical Yearbook 2021.

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