Republic of Korea vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Republic of Korea
39.2%
in 2024
United States of America
35.7%
in 2024
Republic of Korea rank
7th
United States of America rank
9th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Republic of Korea
- United States of America
How they compare
Republic of Korea currently reports 39.2% against 35.7% in United States of America, a difference of 3.5%.
That makes Republic of Korea's figure about 1.1 times United States of America's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 16 shared years of data; in 1970 it was United States of America ahead.
Republic of Korea ranks 7th and United States of America ranks 9th of 95 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Republic of Korea averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Republic of Korea | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.5% | 15.1% | 11.6% | United States of America |
| 2000s | 19.9% | 25.8% | 5.9% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 32.8% | 29.6% | 3.2% | Republic of Korea |
| 2020s | 38.0% | 33.8% | 4.2% | Republic of Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Republic of Korea or United States of America?
- Republic of Korea, at 39.2% against 35.7% in United States of America as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Republic of Korea and United States of America?
- 3.5%, with Republic of Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Republic of Korea and United States of America?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Republic of Korea and United States of America rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Republic of Korea ranks 7th and United States of America ranks 9th of 95 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, rural, 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