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

Sweden
54.4%
in 2023
United States of America
54.0%
in 2024
Sweden rank
8th
United States of America rank
11th

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

  • Sweden
  • United States of America
0204060197019972024

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 54.4% against 54.0% in United States of America, a difference of 0.4%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 20 shared years of data; in 2004 it was United States of America ahead.

Sweden ranks 8th and United States of America ranks 11th of 101 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Sweden United States of America Difference Ahead
2000s 39.1% 39.6% 0.5% United States of America
2010s 46.2% 45.2% 1.0% Sweden
2020s 53.3% 52.0% 1.3% Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Sweden or United States of America?
Sweden, at 54.4% against 54.0% in United States of America as of 2023.
What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Sweden and United States of America?
0.4%, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United States of America?
20 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2023.
How do Sweden and United States of America rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Sweden ranks 8th and United States of America ranks 11th of 101 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, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sweden vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-8/sweden/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,571 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release