South Korea vs United States: Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary
South Korea
52.9%
in 2024
United States
52.1%
in 2024
South Korea rank
11th
United States rank
12th
Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 52.9% against 52.1% in United States, a difference of 0.8%.
Across all 5 years both countries report, South Korea has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 11th and United States ranks 12th of 76 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 | 48.8% | 47.7% | 1.1% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 51.8% | 51.2% | 0.5% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary, South Korea or United States?
- South Korea, at 52.9% against 52.1% in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary between South Korea and United States?
- 0.8%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2017 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary?
- South Korea ranks 11th and United States ranks 12th of 76 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release