China vs United States of America: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes
China
639,280
in 2024
United States of America
695,573
in 2023
China rank
2nd
United States of America rank
1st
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes over time
- China
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 695,573 against 639,280 in China, a difference of 56,293.
That makes United States of America's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2014 it was United States of America ahead.
China ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 1st of 143 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 352,586 | 374,695 | 22,109 | United States of America |
| 2020s | 514,126 | 432,746 | 81,380 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes, China or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 695,573 against 639,280 in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes between China and United States of America?
- 56,293, with United States of America 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, isced 8 programmes, both sexes?
- China ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 1st of 143 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 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