Switzerland vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education

Switzerland
47.2%
in 2024
United States of America
50.0%
in 2024
Switzerland rank
13th
United States of America rank
10th

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time

  • Switzerland
  • United States of America
0204060197019972024

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 50.0% against 47.2% in Switzerland, a difference of 2.8%.

That makes United States of America's figure about 1.1 times Switzerland's.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 19 shared years of data; in 2005 it was United States of America ahead.

Switzerland ranks 13th and United States of America ranks 10th of 102 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Switzerland averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Switzerland United States of America Difference Ahead
2000s 38.4% 40.0% 1.6% United States of America
2010s 44.1% 43.7% 0.4% Switzerland
2020s 46.9% 48.9% 2.0% 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, Switzerland or United States of America?
United States of America, at 50.0% against 47.2% in Switzerland as of 2024.
What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Switzerland and United States of America?
2.8%, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Switzerland and United States of America?
19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2024.
How do Switzerland and United States of America rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Switzerland ranks 13th and United States of America ranks 10th of 102 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, urban, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Switzerland vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-6/switzerland/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
102 places, 1,597 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release