South Korea vs United States: Educational attainment rate, completed Bachelor's or equivalent
South Korea
44.9%
in 2024
United States
40.4%
in 2024
South Korea rank
5th
United States rank
8th
Educational attainment rate, completed Bachelor's or equivalent over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 44.9% against 40.4% in United States, a difference of 4.5%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 2010 it was United States ahead.
South Korea ranks 5th and United States ranks 8th of 90 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 39.4% | 35.6% | 3.8% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 43.3% | 39.6% | 3.7% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed bachelor's or equivalent, South Korea or United States?
- South Korea, at 44.9% against 40.4% in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed bachelor's or equivalent between South Korea and United States?
- 4.5%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed bachelor's or equivalent?
- South Korea ranks 5th and United States ranks 8th of 90 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed Bachelor's or equivalent education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release