China vs United States of America: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes
China
60.67 million
in 2024
United States of America
18.05 million
in 2023
China rank
1st
United States of America rank
3rd
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time
- China
- United States of America
How they compare
China currently reports 60.67 million against 18.05 million in United States of America, a difference of 42.62 million.
That makes China's figure about 3.4 times United States of America's.
Across all 10 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and United States of America ranks 3rd of 200 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 44.21 million | 19.22 million | 24.99 million | China |
| 2020s | 55.15 million | 18.21 million | 36.95 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, China or United States of America?
- China, at 60.67 million against 18.05 million in United States of America as of 2024.
- What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between China and United States of America?
- 42.62 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States of America?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 2014 to 2023.
- How do China and United States of America rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- China ranks 1st and United States of America ranks 3rd of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release