Higher Education Enrollment by Country 2026: Statistics & Charts
Country ranking of tertiary gross enrollment ratios using the World Bank WDI indicator SE.TER.ENRR, sourced from UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The 2026 label refers to the publication year; table values use each country’s latest available source year.
Higher Education Statistics
Snapshot values summarize the reported country table and the global higher education context from UNESCO.
Highest Reported Tertiary Enrollment Ratios
Visual summary of the top 15 country/economy values. The complete ranking remains in the table.
Top 15 Reported Values
Gross tertiary enrollment ratio, latest available source year
Gross enrollment can exceed 100% because the numerator includes students of any age while the denominator uses the official tertiary-age population.
Chart analysis
- Greece has the highest reported value at 165.11% for 2023.
- Nine countries/economies in the chart report values above 100%.
- The top-15 range runs from 165.11% to 93.73%.
- Some high-ranked values use older source years, including Grenada 2018 and St. Kitts and Nevis 2015.
Country Tertiary Enrollment Ranking
Ranked by latest reported gross tertiary enrollment ratio. Search by country, code, year, or value.
| Rank | Country | Code | Gross enrollment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greece | GRC | 165.11% | 2023 |
| 2 | Macao SAR, China | MAC | 141.86% | 2024 |
| 3 | Turkiye | TUR | 127.58% | 2022 |
| 4 | Hong Kong SAR, China | HKG | 120.09% | 2024 |
| 5 | Finland | FIN | 108.13% | 2023 |
| 6 | Argentina | ARG | 107.82% | 2023 |
| 7 | Korea, Rep. | KOR | 106.71% | 2023 |
| 8 | Chile | CHL | 104.73% | 2023 |
| 9 | Australia | AUS | 104.65% | 2023 |
| 10 | Grenada | GRD | 99.99% | 2018 |
| 11 | Cyprus | CYP | 99.02% | 2023 |
| 12 | Singapore | SGP | 97.29% | 2023 |
| 13 | Norway | NOR | 95.06% | 2023 |
| 14 | St. Kitts and Nevis | KNA | 93.92% | 2015 |
| 15 | Spain | ESP | 93.73% | 2023 |
| 16 | Austria | AUT | 91.68% | 2023 |
| 17 | Netherlands | NLD | 86.59% | 2023 |
| 18 | Latvia | LVA | 85.74% | 2023 |
| 19 | Ukraine | UKR | 85.27% | 2024 |
| 20 | Saudi Arabia | SAU | 83.88% | 2024 |
| 21 | Belgium | BEL | 82.15% | 2023 |
| 22 | Albania | ALB | 82% | 2024 |
| 23 | Sweden | SWE | 81.40% | 2023 |
| 24 | Denmark | DNK | 81.23% | 2023 |
| 25 | Croatia | HRV | 81.18% | 2023 |
| 26 | Malta | MLT | 80.53% | 2023 |
| 27 | United Kingdom | GBR | 80.50% | 2023 |
| 28 | Slovenia | SVN | 80.08% | 2023 |
| 29 | Uruguay | URY | 79.95% | 2023 |
| 30 | Bulgaria | BGR | 79.85% | 2023 |
| 31 | United States | USA | 79.36% | 2022 |
| 32 | Germany | DEU | 78.59% | 2023 |
| 33 | Venezuela, RB | VEN | 78.27% | 2009 |
| 34 | Georgia | GEO | 78.27% | 2023 |
| 35 | Puerto Rico (US) | PRI | 77.93% | 2023 |
| 36 | Portugal | PRT | 77.68% | 2023 |
| 37 | Monaco | MCO | 77.48% | 2024 |
| 38 | Lithuania | LTU | 77.01% | 2023 |
| 39 | Poland | POL | 76.88% | 2023 |
| 40 | China | CHN | 76.88% | 2024 |
| 41 | Ireland | IRL | 76.60% | 2022 |
| 42 | Iceland | ISL | 76.52% | 2023 |
| 43 | New Zealand | NZL | 76.38% | 2023 |
| 44 | Canada | CAN | 76.26% | 2023 |
| 45 | Italy | ITA | 75.95% | 2023 |
| 46 | Fiji | FJI | 75.01% | 2024 |
| 47 | Moldova | MDA | 74.71% | 2024 |
| 48 | Switzerland | CHE | 74.01% | 2023 |
| 49 | Serbia | SRB | 73.21% | 2023 |
| 50 | Peru | PER | 71.24% | 2017 |
| 51 | France | FRA | 70.45% | 2023 |
| 52 | Belarus | BLR | 70.11% | 2024 |
| 53 | Mongolia | MNG | 69.04% | 2024 |
| 54 | Ecuador | ECU | 67.89% | 2023 |
| 55 | Andorra | AND | 67.68% | 2024 |
| 56 | Estonia | EST | 67.62% | 2023 |
| 57 | Czechia | CZE | 66.73% | 2023 |
| 58 | Japan | JPN | 64.89% | 2023 |
| 59 | United Arab Emirates | ARE | 63.74% | 2024 |
| 60 | Brazil | BRA | 60.39% | 2022 |
| 61 | Russian Federation | RUS | 60.39% | 2024 |
| 62 | Colombia | COL | 59.29% | 2022 |
| 63 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | IRN | 58.67% | 2022 |
| 64 | Libya | LBY | 58.54% | 2003 |
| 65 | Bahrain | BHR | 58.37% | 2024 |
| 66 | Dominican Republic | DOM | 57.65% | 2024 |
| 67 | San Marino | SMR | 57.55% | 2024 |
| 68 | Hungary | HUN | 56.59% | 2023 |
| 69 | Uzbekistan | UZB | 56.52% | 2024 |
| 70 | Israel | ISR | 55.84% | 2023 |
| 71 | Montenegro | MNE | 55.17% | 2023 |
| 72 | Romania | ROU | 55.17% | 2023 |
| 73 | Costa Rica | CRI | 55.02% | 2019 |
| 74 | North Macedonia | MKD | 55.01% | 2023 |
| 75 | Algeria | DZA | 54.43% | 2024 |
| 76 | Lebanon | LBN | 54.40% | 2023 |
| 77 | Panama | PAN | 53.69% | 2023 |
| 78 | Barbados | BRB | 53.58% | 2024 |
| 79 | Kazakhstan | KAZ | 53.46% | 2024 |
| 80 | Slovak Republic | SVK | 53.42% | 2023 |
| 81 | Kyrgyz Republic | KGZ | 53.17% | 2024 |
| 82 | Armenia | ARM | 52.77% | 2024 |
| 83 | Kuwait | KWT | 51.90% | 2021 |
| 84 | Maldives | MDV | 48.50% | 2022 |
| 85 | Morocco | MAR | 48.18% | 2024 |
| 86 | Mexico | MEX | 47.47% | 2023 |
| 87 | Philippines | PHL | 47.41% | 2024 |
| 88 | Liechtenstein | LIE | 46.02% | 2021 |
| 89 | Mauritius | MUS | 45.78% | 2024 |
| 90 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | BIH | 45.50% | 2023 |
| 91 | Thailand | THA | 44.98% | 2024 |
| 92 | Indonesia | IDN | 44.88% | 2023 |
| 93 | West Bank and Gaza | PSE | 44.49% | 2023 |
| 94 | Oman | OMN | 43.84% | 2021 |
| 95 | Syrian Arab Republic | SYR | 43.76% | 2016 |
| 96 | Cuba | CUB | 43.10% | 2024 |
| 97 | Tonga | TON | 42.86% | 2023 |
| 98 | Azerbaijan | AZE | 41.34% | 2024 |
| 99 | Palau | PLW | 41.13% | 2023 |
| 100 | Malaysia | MYS | 38.50% | 2024 |
| 101 | Tunisia | TUN | 38.12% | 2023 |
| 102 | Marshall Islands | MHL | 37.69% | 2024 |
| 103 | Paraguay | PRY | 37.62% | 2010 |
| 104 | Viet Nam | VNM | 37.59% | 2024 |
| 105 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | EGY | 37.58% | 2024 |
| 106 | Brunei Darussalam | BRN | 36.42% | 2023 |
| 107 | Jordan | JOR | 35.92% | 2024 |
| 108 | Tajikistan | TJK | 35.64% | 2024 |
| 109 | Qatar | QAT | 35.09% | 2022 |
| 110 | India | IND | 34.42% | 2024 |
| 111 | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | VIR | 33.55% | 1993 |
| 112 | Cayman Islands | CYM | 33.02% | 2008 |
| 113 | El Salvador | SLV | 32.83% | 2024 |
| 114 | Timor-Leste | TLS | 30.96% | 2023 |
| 115 | Nicaragua | NIC | 30.36% | 2023 |
| 116 | British Virgin Islands | VGB | 29.56% | 2024 |
| 117 | Guatemala | GTM | 27.29% | 2023 |
| 118 | Korea, Dem. People’s Rep. | PRK | 26.72% | 2018 |
| 119 | Guyana | GUY | 26.43% | 2024 |
| 120 | Jamaica | JAM | 26.23% | 2015 |
| 121 | Namibia | NAM | 26.11% | 2022 |
| 122 | Honduras | HND | 25.32% | 2019 |
| 123 | Turks and Caicos Islands | TCA | 25.25% | 2023 |
| 124 | Antigua and Barbuda | ATG | 25.12% | 2012 |
| 125 | Belize | BLZ | 24.81% | 2024 |
| 126 | Cabo Verde | CPV | 24.29% | 2018 |
| 127 | Bangladesh | BGD | 23.73% | 2024 |
| 128 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | VCT | 23.62% | 2015 |
| 129 | South Africa | ZAF | 23.49% | 2023 |
| 130 | Curacao | CUW | 23.08% | 2013 |
| 131 | Ghana | GHA | 22.10% | 2023 |
| 132 | Luxembourg | LUX | 21.54% | 2023 |
| 133 | Cambodia | KHM | 21.44% | 2024 |
| 134 | Botswana | BWA | 21.41% | 2024 |
| 135 | Nepal | NPL | 21.29% | 2024 |
| 136 | Sri Lanka | LKA | 20.74% | 2023 |
| 137 | Turkmenistan | TKM | 20.43% | 2024 |
| 138 | Myanmar | MMR | 20.37% | 2018 |
| 139 | American Samoa | ASM | 19.62% | 1989 |
| 140 | Tuvalu | TUV | 19.35% | 2023 |
| 141 | Comoros | COM | 18.82% | 2017 |
| 142 | Bermuda | BMU | 17.34% | 2023 |
| 143 | Cameroon | CMR | 16.66% | 2024 |
| 144 | Sudan | SDN | 15.86% | 2015 |
| 145 | Iraq | IRQ | 15.56% | 2005 |
| 146 | Senegal | SEN | 15.33% | 2024 |
| 147 | St. Lucia | LCA | 15.04% | 2023 |
| 148 | Togo | TGO | 14.90% | 2020 |
| 149 | Lao PDR | LAO | 14.88% | 2023 |
| 150 | Bahamas, The | BHS | 14.84% | 1995 |
| 151 | Samoa | WSM | 14.61% | 2023 |
| 152 | Seychelles | SYC | 14.53% | 2024 |
| 153 | Aruba | ABW | 14.07% | 2024 |
| 154 | Gambia, The | GMB | 13.48% | 2024 |
| 155 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | FSM | 13.36% | 2000 |
| 156 | Bhutan | BTN | 13.01% | 2024 |
| 157 | Sao Tome and Principe | STP | 12.82% | 2015 |
| 158 | Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | 11.83% | 2004 |
| 159 | Cote d’Ivoire | CIV | 11.57% | 2023 |
| 160 | Pakistan | PAK | 10.86% | 2024 |
| 161 | Guinea | GIN | 10.85% | 2014 |
| 162 | Afghanistan | AFG | 10.85% | 2020 |
| 163 | Liberia | LBR | 10.84% | 2012 |
| 164 | Kenya | KEN | 10.42% | 2024 |
| 165 | Congo, Rep. | COG | 10.38% | 2023 |
| 166 | Benin | BEN | 10.24% | 2022 |
| 167 | Burkina Faso | BFA | 10.04% | 2024 |
| 168 | Angola | AGO | 9.95% | 2024 |
| 169 | Lesotho | LSO | 9.94% | 2018 |
| 170 | Nigeria | NGA | 9.74% | 2011 |
| 171 | Rwanda | RWA | 9.41% | 2024 |
| 172 | Yemen, Rep. | YEM | 8.81% | 2011 |
| 173 | Zimbabwe | ZWE | 7.75% | 2024 |
| 174 | Gabon | GAB | 7.66% | 2003 |
| 175 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | SXM | 7.65% | 2023 |
| 176 | Mozambique | MOZ | 7.46% | 2018 |
| 177 | Dominica | DMA | 6.95% | 1993 |
| 178 | Eswatini | SWZ | 6.44% | 2013 |
| 179 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | COD | 6.38% | 2020 |
| 180 | Madagascar | MDG | 6.15% | 2023 |
| 181 | Burundi | BDI | 6.03% | 2023 |
| 182 | Mauritania | MRT | 5.97% | 2020 |
| 183 | Ethiopia | ETH | 5.92% | 2014 |
| 184 | Djibouti | DJI | 5.16% | 2011 |
| 185 | Mali | MLI | 5.13% | 2015 |
| 186 | Kiribati | KIR | 4.96% | 2024 |
| 187 | Suriname | SUR | 4.94% | 2023 |
| 188 | Vanuatu | VUT | 4.88% | 2004 |
| 189 | Uganda | UGA | 4.62% | 2014 |
| 190 | Chad | TCD | 4.40% | 2020 |
| 191 | Niger | NER | 4.15% | 2019 |
| 192 | Tanzania | TZA | 4.02% | 2024 |
| 193 | Zambia | ZMB | 3.96% | 2012 |
| 194 | Eritrea | ERI | 3.20% | 2016 |
| 195 | Central African Republic | CAF | 2.78% | 2012 |
| 196 | Malawi | MWI | 2.71% | 2022 |
| 197 | Guinea-Bissau | GNB | 2.62% | 2006 |
| 198 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | SOM | 2.41% | 1987 |
| 199 | Sierra Leone | SLE | 1.99% | 2002 |
| 200 | Papua New Guinea | PNG | 1.95% | 1999 |
| 201 | Equatorial Guinea | GNQ | 1.84% | 2000 |
| 202 | French Polynesia | PYF | 1.46% | 1992 |
| 203 | Haiti | HTI | 1.05% | 1986 |
Table analysis
- The table contains 203 countries/economies with reported values.
- 133 rows use 2023 or 2024 as the source year.
- The spread from the highest to lowest reported value is 164.06 percentage points.
- The ranking mixes source years; older values remain visible rather than being replaced with estimates.
- Gross enrollment ratios above 100% reflect enrollment regardless of age, not a net participation rate.
Distribution and Source-Year Coverage
Distribution bands group the 203 reported country values into equal-count ranges.
Country Distribution by Enrollment Band
Quantile bands based on latest reported values
Each band contains 29 countries/economies, so the chart shows distribution position rather than regional grouping.
| Source year | Reported rows | Coverage note |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 59 | Most recent WDI/UIS country values |
| 2023 | 74 | Largest source-year group |
| 2022 | 11 | Recent reported values |
| 2021 | 3 | Limited country coverage |
| 2020 | 5 | Limited country coverage |
| 2015-2019 | 19 | Older latest values retained by source |
| 2010-2014 | 13 | Older latest values retained by source |
| 2000-2009 | 11 | Sparse recent reporting in selected economies |
| 1986-1999 | 8 | Historical latest values only |
Source-year analysis
- 2023 is the most common source year with 74 rows.
- 2024 accounts for 59 rows.
- Older latest values remain in the ranking because the selected source does not report a newer country value.
- The 1986-1999 group contains 8 rows and should be read as historical latest coverage.
Reading Notes
Interpretation rules for the gross tertiary enrollment indicator.
Gross ratio, not net participation
The indicator divides total tertiary enrollment, regardless of student age, by the population in the official tertiary-age group.
Values can exceed 100%
Older students, international students, delayed entry, and re-entry can push the gross ratio above 100%.
Source year varies
Country values use the latest reported year available in the WDI/UIS series, not a single 2026 reference year.
No quality ranking
The ranking measures enrollment intensity for one indicator. It does not measure completion, learning outcomes, funding, or institutional quality.
Source and Methodology
Country values are ranked from highest to lowest after rounding to two decimals. Missing countries/economies are not assigned values. The table keeps older latest source years where no newer value is reported by the selected WDI/UIS series.
This ranking is limited to one access indicator: gross tertiary enrollment ratio. It should not be read as a ranking of university quality, degree completion, affordability, labor-market outcomes, or education-system performance.