Ireland vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Ireland
54.3%
in 2023
United States of America
52.0%
in 2024
Ireland rank
4th
United States of America rank
6th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Ireland
- United States of America
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 54.3% against 52.0% in United States of America, a difference of 2.3%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 23 shared years of data; in 1994 it was United States of America ahead.
Ireland ranks 4th and United States of America ranks 6th of 128 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.9% | 44.5% | 29.7% | United States of America |
| 2000s | 28.1% | 36.9% | 8.8% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 40.3% | 43.5% | 3.2% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 50.2% | 50.2% | 0.0% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Ireland or United States of America?
- Ireland, at 54.3% against 52.0% in United States of America as of 2023.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Ireland and United States of America?
- 2.3%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United States of America?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2023.
- How do Ireland and United States of America rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 4th and United States of America ranks 6th of 128 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release