Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent in United States

United States: Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent was 14.2% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
14.2%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
18th
of 81 countries
All-time high
14.2%
in 2024
All-time low
9.2%
in 1994
Years of data
31
1994–2024

Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent in United States, 1994–2024

0510151994200920241994: 9.2 %1995: 9.5 %1996: 9.5 %1997: 9.6 %1998: 9.8 %1999: 10.1 %2000: 10.2 %2001: 10.3 %2002: 10.4 %2003: 10.6 %2004: 10.7 %2005: 10.7 %2006: 10.8 %2007: 10.9 %2008: 11 %2009: 11.1 %2010: 11.1 %2011: 11.3 %2012: 11.6 %2013: 12 %2014: 11.9 %2015: 12 %2016: 12.6 %2017: 12.8 %2018: 12.8 %2019: 13 %2020: 13.8 %2021: 13.6 %2022: 13.3 %2023: 14.1 %2024: 14.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

United States recorded 14.2% for educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent in 2024. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 19.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent in United States peaked at 14.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.2%, in 1994.

United States ranks 18th of 81 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.6% 9.2% 10.1% 6
2000s 10.7% 10.2% 11.1% 10
2010s 12.1% 11.1% 13.0% 10
2020s 13.8% 13.3% 14.2% 5

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 15 Cyprus 15.5% compare
  2. 16 Ireland 14.8% compare
  3. 17 France 14.7% compare
  4. 19 Spain 14.1% compare
  5. 20 United Kingdom 14.1% compare
  6. 21 Iceland 14.0% compare

See the full ranking of 81 places β†’

More education data for United States

All data for United States β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent in United States?
Educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent in United States was 14.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 14.2% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 9.2% in 1994.
How does United States rank for educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent?
United States ranks 18th out of 81 countries with data for 2024.
Is educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent in United States. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-master-s-or-equivalent-education-or-higher-2/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
81 places, 893 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release