University Enrollment by Country 2026: Data, Charts & Rankings
University enrollment is measured here with the World Bank and UNESCO UIS indicator School enrollment, tertiary (% gross). Values are latest available source-year observations, not 2026 survey results.
University Enrollment Statistics
Ranking uses latest non-null tertiary gross enrollment values in the World Bank WDI series.
Tertiary Enrollment Ranking
The chart shows the top 20 reported gross enrollment ratios; the full ranking table carries the country-level dataset.
Highest Reported University Enrollment Rates
Latest available tertiary gross enrollment ratio, percent.
Gross enrollment ratios can exceed 100% because the numerator includes tertiary students outside the official tertiary-age population.
Chart analysis
- Greece reports the highest value at 165.1%.
- The top four reported values exceed 120%.
- The top 20 cutoff is 83.9%, reported by Saudi Arabia.
- Several high-ranking rows use different source years, so ranks compare latest available observations rather than one synchronized year.
Full Country University Enrollment Table
Ranked by latest reported tertiary gross enrollment ratio. Countries without a non-null WDI value are excluded rather than imputed.
| Rank | Country | GER | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greece | 165.1% | 2023 |
| 2 | Macao SAR, China | 141.9% | 2024 |
| 3 | Turkiye | 127.6% | 2022 |
| 4 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 120.1% | 2024 |
| 5 | Finland | 108.1% | 2023 |
| 6 | Argentina | 107.8% | 2023 |
| 7 | Korea, Rep. | 106.7% | 2023 |
| 8 | Chile | 104.7% | 2023 |
| 9 | Australia | 104.6% | 2023 |
| 10 | Grenada | 100.0% | 2018 |
| 11 | Cyprus | 99.0% | 2023 |
| 12 | Singapore | 97.3% | 2023 |
| 13 | Norway | 95.1% | 2023 |
| 14 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 93.9% | 2015 |
| 15 | Spain | 93.7% | 2023 |
| 16 | Austria | 91.7% | 2023 |
| 17 | Netherlands | 86.6% | 2023 |
| 18 | Latvia | 85.7% | 2023 |
| 19 | Ukraine | 85.3% | 2024 |
| 20 | Saudi Arabia | 83.9% | 2024 |
| 21 | Belgium | 82.1% | 2023 |
| 22 | Albania | 82.0% | 2024 |
| 23 | Sweden | 81.4% | 2023 |
| 24 | Denmark | 81.2% | 2023 |
| 25 | Croatia | 81.2% | 2023 |
| 26 | Malta | 80.5% | 2023 |
| 27 | United Kingdom | 80.5% | 2023 |
| 28 | Slovenia | 80.1% | 2023 |
| 29 | Uruguay | 80.0% | 2023 |
| 30 | Bulgaria | 79.9% | 2023 |
| 31 | United States | 79.4% | 2022 |
| 32 | Germany | 78.6% | 2023 |
| 33 | Venezuela, RB | 78.3% | 2009 |
| 34 | Georgia | 78.3% | 2023 |
| 35 | Puerto Rico (US) | 77.9% | 2023 |
| 36 | Portugal | 77.7% | 2023 |
| 37 | Monaco | 77.5% | 2024 |
| 38 | Lithuania | 77.0% | 2023 |
| 39 | Poland | 76.9% | 2023 |
| 40 | China | 76.9% | 2024 |
| 41 | Ireland | 76.6% | 2022 |
| 42 | Iceland | 76.5% | 2023 |
| 43 | New Zealand | 76.4% | 2023 |
| 44 | Canada | 76.3% | 2023 |
| 45 | Italy | 75.9% | 2023 |
| 46 | Fiji | 75.0% | 2024 |
| 47 | Moldova | 74.7% | 2024 |
| 48 | Switzerland | 74.0% | 2023 |
| 49 | Serbia | 73.2% | 2023 |
| 50 | Peru | 71.2% | 2017 |
| 51 | France | 70.5% | 2023 |
| 52 | Belarus | 70.1% | 2024 |
| 53 | Mongolia | 69.0% | 2024 |
| 54 | Ecuador | 67.9% | 2023 |
| 55 | Andorra | 67.7% | 2024 |
| 56 | Estonia | 67.6% | 2023 |
| 57 | Czechia | 66.7% | 2023 |
| 58 | Japan | 64.9% | 2023 |
| 59 | United Arab Emirates | 63.7% | 2024 |
| 60 | Brazil | 60.4% | 2022 |
| 61 | Russian Federation | 60.4% | 2024 |
| 62 | Colombia | 59.3% | 2022 |
| 63 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 58.7% | 2022 |
| 64 | Libya | 58.5% | 2003 |
| 65 | Bahrain | 58.4% | 2024 |
| 66 | Dominican Republic | 57.7% | 2024 |
| 67 | San Marino | 57.5% | 2024 |
| 68 | Hungary | 56.6% | 2023 |
| 69 | Uzbekistan | 56.5% | 2024 |
| 70 | Israel | 55.8% | 2023 |
| 71 | Montenegro | 55.2% | 2023 |
| 72 | Romania | 55.2% | 2023 |
| 73 | Costa Rica | 55.0% | 2019 |
| 74 | North Macedonia | 55.0% | 2023 |
| 75 | Algeria | 54.4% | 2024 |
| 76 | Lebanon | 54.4% | 2023 |
| 77 | Panama | 53.7% | 2023 |
| 78 | Barbados | 53.6% | 2024 |
| 79 | Kazakhstan | 53.5% | 2024 |
| 80 | Slovak Republic | 53.4% | 2023 |
| 81 | Kyrgyz Republic | 53.2% | 2024 |
| 82 | Armenia | 52.8% | 2024 |
| 83 | Kuwait | 51.9% | 2021 |
| 84 | Maldives | 48.5% | 2022 |
| 85 | Morocco | 48.2% | 2024 |
| 86 | Mexico | 47.5% | 2023 |
| 87 | Philippines | 47.4% | 2024 |
| 88 | Liechtenstein | 46.0% | 2021 |
| 89 | Mauritius | 45.8% | 2024 |
| 90 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 45.5% | 2023 |
| 91 | Thailand | 45.0% | 2024 |
| 92 | Indonesia | 44.9% | 2023 |
| 93 | West Bank and Gaza | 44.5% | 2023 |
| 94 | Oman | 43.8% | 2021 |
| 95 | Syrian Arab Republic | 43.8% | 2016 |
| 96 | Cuba | 43.1% | 2024 |
| 97 | Tonga | 42.9% | 2023 |
| 98 | Azerbaijan | 41.3% | 2024 |
| 99 | Palau | 41.1% | 2023 |
| 100 | Malaysia | 38.5% | 2024 |
| 101 | Tunisia | 38.1% | 2023 |
| 102 | Marshall Islands | 37.7% | 2024 |
| 103 | Paraguay | 37.6% | 2010 |
| 104 | Viet Nam | 37.6% | 2024 |
| 105 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 37.6% | 2024 |
| 106 | Brunei Darussalam | 36.4% | 2023 |
| 107 | Jordan | 35.9% | 2024 |
| 108 | Tajikistan | 35.6% | 2024 |
| 109 | Qatar | 35.1% | 2022 |
| 110 | India | 34.4% | 2024 |
| 111 | Cayman Islands | 33.0% | 2008 |
| 112 | El Salvador | 32.8% | 2024 |
| 113 | Timor-Leste | 31.0% | 2023 |
| 114 | Nicaragua | 30.4% | 2023 |
| 115 | British Virgin Islands | 29.6% | 2024 |
| 116 | Guatemala | 27.3% | 2023 |
| 117 | Korea, Dem. People’s Rep. | 26.7% | 2018 |
| 118 | Guyana | 26.4% | 2024 |
| 119 | Jamaica | 26.2% | 2015 |
| 120 | Namibia | 26.1% | 2022 |
| 121 | Honduras | 25.3% | 2019 |
| 122 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 25.3% | 2023 |
| 123 | Antigua and Barbuda | 25.1% | 2012 |
| 124 | Belize | 24.8% | 2024 |
| 125 | Cabo Verde | 24.3% | 2018 |
| 126 | Bangladesh | 23.7% | 2024 |
| 127 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 23.6% | 2015 |
| 128 | South Africa | 23.5% | 2023 |
| 129 | Curacao | 23.1% | 2013 |
| 130 | Ghana | 22.1% | 2023 |
| 131 | Luxembourg | 21.5% | 2023 |
| 132 | Cambodia | 21.4% | 2024 |
| 133 | Botswana | 21.4% | 2024 |
| 134 | Nepal | 21.3% | 2024 |
| 135 | Sri Lanka | 20.7% | 2023 |
| 136 | Turkmenistan | 20.4% | 2024 |
| 137 | Myanmar | 20.4% | 2018 |
| 138 | Tuvalu | 19.4% | 2023 |
| 139 | Comoros | 18.8% | 2017 |
| 140 | Bermuda | 17.3% | 2023 |
| 141 | Cameroon | 16.7% | 2024 |
| 142 | Sudan | 15.9% | 2015 |
| 143 | Iraq | 15.6% | 2005 |
| 144 | Senegal | 15.3% | 2024 |
| 145 | St. Lucia | 15.0% | 2023 |
| 146 | Togo | 14.9% | 2020 |
| 147 | Lao PDR | 14.9% | 2023 |
| 148 | Samoa | 14.6% | 2023 |
| 149 | Seychelles | 14.5% | 2024 |
| 150 | Aruba | 14.1% | 2024 |
| 151 | Gambia, The | 13.5% | 2024 |
| 152 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 13.4% | 2000 |
| 153 | Bhutan | 13.0% | 2024 |
| 154 | Sao Tome and Principe | 12.8% | 2015 |
| 155 | Trinidad and Tobago | 11.8% | 2004 |
| 156 | Cote d’Ivoire | 11.6% | 2023 |
| 157 | Pakistan | 10.9% | 2024 |
| 158 | Guinea | 10.9% | 2014 |
| 159 | Afghanistan | 10.9% | 2020 |
| 160 | Liberia | 10.8% | 2012 |
| 161 | Kenya | 10.4% | 2024 |
| 162 | Congo, Rep. | 10.4% | 2023 |
| 163 | Benin | 10.2% | 2022 |
| 164 | Burkina Faso | 10.0% | 2024 |
| 165 | Angola | 10.0% | 2024 |
| 166 | Lesotho | 9.9% | 2018 |
| 167 | Nigeria | 9.7% | 2011 |
| 168 | Rwanda | 9.4% | 2024 |
| 169 | Yemen, Rep. | 8.8% | 2011 |
| 170 | Zimbabwe | 7.7% | 2024 |
| 171 | Gabon | 7.7% | 2003 |
| 172 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 7.7% | 2023 |
| 173 | Mozambique | 7.5% | 2018 |
| 174 | Eswatini | 6.4% | 2013 |
| 175 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 6.4% | 2020 |
| 176 | Madagascar | 6.1% | 2023 |
| 177 | Burundi | 6.0% | 2023 |
| 178 | Mauritania | 6.0% | 2020 |
| 179 | Ethiopia | 5.9% | 2014 |
| 180 | Djibouti | 5.2% | 2011 |
| 181 | Mali | 5.1% | 2015 |
| 182 | Kiribati | 5.0% | 2024 |
| 183 | Suriname | 4.9% | 2023 |
| 184 | Vanuatu | 4.9% | 2004 |
| 185 | Uganda | 4.6% | 2014 |
| 186 | Chad | 4.4% | 2020 |
| 187 | Niger | 4.2% | 2019 |
| 188 | Tanzania | 4.0% | 2024 |
| 189 | Zambia | 4.0% | 2012 |
| 190 | Eritrea | 3.2% | 2016 |
| 191 | Central African Republic | 2.8% | 2012 |
| 192 | Malawi | 2.7% | 2022 |
| 193 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.6% | 2006 |
| 194 | Sierra Leone | 2.0% | 2002 |
| 195 | Equatorial Guinea | 1.8% | 2000 |
Table analysis
- The table includes 195 countries/economies with non-null latest observations.
- The ranked dataset has a mean of 44.8% and a median of 41.3%.
- 29 countries/economies report values at or above 80%.
- 30 countries/economies report values below 10%.
- The top-to-lowest spread is 163.3 percentage points.
- Source years vary: most values are from 2023 or 2024, while older observations remain where newer non-null data are not available.
Distribution and Historical Context
Distribution bins use the 195 latest country values. Trend rows use selected WDI annual series points where available.
Distribution of Reported Tertiary Enrollment Rates
Count of countries/economies by latest reported gross enrollment ratio band.
The largest band is 50% to 79.9%, with 54 reported country/economy values.
Chart analysis
- 54 countries/economies fall in the 50% to 79.9% band.
- 30 countries/economies fall below 10%.
- The distribution is wide; the upper band starts at 80%, while the lowest reported value is 1.8%.
Selected Country Trend Since 2005
Tertiary gross enrollment ratio, selected WDI series points.
The trend chart is a selected-country view; it does not replace the full ranking table.
Trend analysis
- China rose from 18.7% in 2005 to 74.6% in 2023.
- Mexico rose from 24.1% in 2005 to 47.5% in 2023.
- France moved from 53.9% in 2005 to 70.5% in 2023.
- Korea, Rep. stayed above 90% in each selected year.
- Pakistan remained below 12% across the selected points.
| Country | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2023 | Change 2005-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 18.7% | 25.3% | 47.1% | 61.6% | 74.6% | +55.9 pp |
| France | 53.9% | 54.9% | 62.8% | 68.9% | 70.5% | +16.6 pp |
| Korea, Rep. | 95.4% | 101.7% | 94.0% | 96.9% | 106.7% | +11.3 pp |
| Mexico | 24.1% | 27.2% | 32.0% | 45.2% | 47.5% | +23.4 pp |
| Pakistan | 4.3% | 7.0% | 8.4% | 11.7% | 10.5% | +6.2 pp |
Trend analysis
- The largest selected-country change is China, at +55.9 percentage points from 2005 to 2023.
- Korea, Rep. has the highest selected 2023 value at 106.7%.
- Pakistan has the lowest selected 2023 value at 10.5%.
| Source year | Rows | Coverage note |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 59 | Most recent source-year group |
| 2023 | 74 | Largest source-year group |
| 2022 | 11 | Recent source-year group |
| 2021 | 3 | Limited country reporting |
| 2020 | 5 | Older source-year group |
| 2019 | 3 | Older source-year group |
| 2018 | 6 | Older source-year group |
| 2017 | 2 | Older source-year group |
| 2016 | 2 | Older source-year group |
| 2015 | 6 | Older source-year group |
| 2014 | 3 | Older source-year group |
| 2013 | 2 | Older source-year group |
| 2012 | 4 | Older source-year group |
| 2011 | 3 | Older source-year group |
| 2010 | 1 | Older source-year group |
| 2009 | 1 | Older source-year group |
| 2008 | 1 | Older source-year group |
| 2006 | 1 | Older source-year group |
| 2005 | 1 | Older source-year group |
| 2004 | 2 | Older source-year group |
| 2003 | 2 | Older source-year group |
| 2002 | 1 | Older source-year group |
| 2000 | 2 | Oldest source-year group in the ranking |
Source-year analysis
- 2023 accounts for 74 rows.
- 2024 accounts for 59 rows.
- Older observations remain visible because they are the latest non-null values in the selected source series.
Interpretation Notes
The indicator measures participation at tertiary level, not institutional quality, completion, attainment, or graduate labor-market outcomes.
Gross Enrollment Ratio
Values compare total tertiary enrollment, regardless of age, with the official tertiary-age population.
Values Above 100%
A value above 100% can occur when older or younger students, international students, delayed entry, or repeated study patterns increase enrollment counts relative to the official age group.
Source-Year Variation
Country rows use latest available reported years. Two neighboring ranks may refer to different reference years.
Ranking Scope
The rank is only for the World Bank/UNESCO UIS tertiary gross enrollment indicator. It is not a general higher education performance score.
Source and Methodology
The page treats “university enrollment” as tertiary gross enrollment because this is the comparable international indicator available across countries. Tertiary education includes universities and other post-secondary institutions classified under tertiary education; it is not limited to university-degree programs in every national system.
Ranking is based only on the reported tertiary gross enrollment ratio. It does not measure learning outcomes, institutional quality, completion, affordability, labor-market returns, or access equity. Source years differ by country, and older rows should be read as latest available observations rather than current-year estimates.