Compulsory education, duration in United States
United States: Compulsory education, duration was 12 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
12 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
33rd
of 197 countries
All-time high
12 years
in 1998
All-time low
12 years
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Compulsory education, duration in United States, 1998–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for compulsory education, duration in United States is 12 years, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, compulsory education, duration in United States peaked at 12 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 12 years, in 1998.
That places United States 33rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Compulsory education, duration in United States, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12 years | — |
| 1999 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 12 years | +0.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 12 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 11 years, 1.1× the median. (77 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 33 Armenia 12 years compare
- 33 Bahamas 12 years compare
- 33 British Virgin Islands 12 years compare
- 33 Bulgaria 12 years compare
- 33 Cayman Islands 12 years compare
- 33 Chile 12 years compare
- 33 Colombia 12 years compare
- 33 Dominica 12 years compare
- 33 Egypt 12 years compare
- 33 Finland 12 years compare
- 33 Grenada 12 years compare
- 33 Honduras 12 years compare
- 33 Italy 12 years compare
- 33 Kenya 12 years compare
- 33 North Korea 12 years compare
- 33 Luxembourg 12 years compare
- 33 Maldives 12 years compare
- 33 Mauritius 12 years compare
- 33 Mongolia 12 years compare
- 33 Pakistan 12 years compare
- 33 Palau 12 years compare
- 33 Portugal 12 years compare
- 33 Qatar 12 years compare
- 33 Saint Kitts and Nevis 12 years compare
- 33 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12 years compare
- 33 Turkey 12 years compare
- 33 Turkmenistan 12 years compare
- 33 United Arab Emirates 12 years compare
More education data for United States
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.74 million (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is compulsory education, duration in United States?
- Compulsory education, duration in United States was 12 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest compulsory education, duration recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 12 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest compulsory education, duration recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 12 years in 1998.
- How does United States rank for compulsory education, duration?
- United States ranks 33rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is compulsory education, duration rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Compulsory education, duration (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Duration of compulsory education is the number of years that children are legally obliged to attend school.