Tertiary Education By Country [2026 Statistics]

Less than half the world’s college-age population is enrolled in higher education. The global gross enrollment ratio for tertiary education stood at 43% as of 2023, according to the World Bank and UNESCO. Across OECD countries, 48% of 25-to-34-year-olds held a tertiary degree in 2024, up from 45% in 2019. This article compiles the latest tertiary education data by country, drawn from the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2025 report and World Bank indicators.

Key Tertiary Education Statistics

• 48% of young adults (25-34) across OECD countries held a tertiary qualification in 2024.
• Canada leads with 66.36% tertiary attainment among 25-to-34-year-olds.
• Sub-Saharan Africa’s gross tertiary enrollment ratio is just 9%.
• Only 43% of bachelor’s students graduate within the expected program duration across the OECD.
• Over 6 million students pursued tertiary education outside their home countries in 2023.

Tertiary Education Attainment by Country: Top 15 Nations

The OECD tracks the share of 25-to-34-year-olds who have completed tertiary education. Canada leads all tracked countries at 66.36%, and it is the only nation where more than half of the 55-64 age group also holds a degree. France shows one of the steepest generational gaps: attainment nearly doubled from 26.59% among older adults to 50.26% in the younger cohort.

Rank	Country	Ages 25-34 (%)	Ages 55-64 (%)
1	Canada	66.36	51.68
2	Japan	64.81	47.08
3	Luxembourg	63.12	32.42
4	Ireland	62.88	37.51
5	Russia	62.09	50.28
6	Lithuania	57.48	31.50
7	United Kingdom	57.47	38.82
8	Netherlands	55.60	30.54
9	Norway	55.03	35.10
10	Australia	54.31	37.09
11	Switzerland	52.27	34.29
12	United States	51.17	45.35
13	Belgium	50.87	35.40
14	France	50.26	26.59
15	Sweden	49.22	35.03

Source: OECD via World Population Review, 2024 reference data

Tertiary Education by Country: Lowest Attainment Rates

At the other end, South Africa records the lowest youth attainment among OECD-tracked countries at 14.85%, with almost no change between generations. India’s 55-64 cohort sits at 6.72%, the lowest for any tracked country. Argentina is the only nation where the older cohort (24.85%) outpaces the younger one (19.03%).

Country	Ages 25-34 (%)	Ages 55-64 (%)
South Africa	14.85	14.62
Indonesia	18.66	8.82
Argentina	19.03	24.85
India	20.50	6.72
Brazil	23.03	15.34
Mexico	27.06	15.88
Italy	28.27	12.74

Source: OECD via World Population Review, 2024 reference data

Tertiary Education Spending by Country

Government expenditure per full-time equivalent tertiary student averaged $15,102 (USD PPP) across the OECD in 2022. Luxembourg and Norway each spent over $33,000 per student in public institutions. Six countries charge under $500 in annual tuition at public institutions, offsetting costs through taxation. Countries like Australia, the UK, and the US charge above $4,000 annually but pair this with loan-based aid systems. Across the OECD, tertiary education accounts for 1.4% of GDP on average.

Spending Tier	Countries	Per Student (USD PPP)
Highest (>$25,000)	Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland	Over $25,000
High ($20k-$25k)	Sweden, Denmark	$20,000-$25,000
OECD Average	All OECD	$15,102
Below Average	United States, United Kingdom	Varies (high private share)
Lowest (<$5,000)	Chile, Mexico	Under $5,000

Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2025, Chapters C1 and C5

Bachelor’s Completion Rates by Country

Getting in and finishing are two different things. Across the OECD, only 43% of bachelor’s students graduated within the expected program duration. With three extra years, the figure reached 70%. Women completed at a rate of 75% within that window, compared to 63% for men. STEM fields lagged: just 58% of STEM entrants graduated in the same field within three years past the expected duration.

Metric	OECD Average
Completion within expected duration	43%
Completion within 1 extra year	59%
Completion within 3 extra years	70%
Women (within 3 extra years)	75%
Men (within 3 extra years)	63%

Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2025, Table B5.1

International Student Mobility in Tertiary Education

Over 6 million students studied outside their home countries in 2023. More than 5 million enrolled in OECD nations. The US, UK, Australia, and Canada together hosted 46% of all internationally mobile students in the OECD. Asian students made up 58% of the total. At the doctoral level, STEM fields account for over two-fifths of all graduates, twice their share at the bachelor’s level.

Destination	Share of International Students (OECD)
United States	19%
United Kingdom	14%
Australia	9%
Germany	9%
Canada	~5%

Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2025 / Migration Data Portal, 2023 data

How Does Parental Background Affect Tertiary Education Access?

Parental education remains one of the strongest predictors of degree completion. Across the OECD, 70% of 25-to-34-year-olds with at least one tertiary-educated parent hold a degree themselves. For those whose parents didn’t finish upper secondary school, that figure drops to 26%.

The gap carries into employment outcomes. Unemployment among young adults (25-34) without upper secondary education is 12.9%, dropping to 4.9% for those with a tertiary degree. In the UK, tertiary-educated young adults face a 2.9% unemployment rate versus 8.7% for those without upper secondary credentials. Completing a degree still carries a measurable payoff in the labor market, but who gets there depends on where they start.

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