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

United States: Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent was 9.1% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
9.1%
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
12th
of 60 countries
All-time high
9.1%
in 2024
All-time low
5.9%
in 2005
Years of data
20
2005–2024

Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent in United States, 2005–2024

02468102005201420242005: 5.9 %2006: 6.1 %2007: 6.2 %2008: 6.5 %2009: 6.5 %2010: 6.8 %2011: 6.8 %2012: 6.8 %2013: 6.7 %2014: 7.6 %2015: 6.9 %2016: 7.4 %2017: 7.8 %2018: 7.3 %2019: 7.9 %2020: 8.2 %2021: 8.5 %2022: 7.8 %2023: 8.8 %2024: 9.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

United States recorded 9.1% for educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent in 2024. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.

The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 19.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent in United States peaked at 9.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2005.

That places United States 12th out of 60 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.2% 5.9% 6.5% 5
2010s 7.2% 6.7% 7.9% 10
2020s 8.5% 7.8% 9.1% 5

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 9 Ireland 10.0% compare
  2. 10 Czechia 10.0% compare
  3. 11 Slovenia 9.7% compare
  4. 13 Armenia, Republic of 9.0% compare
  5. 14 Iceland 8.6% compare
  6. 15 Netherlands 8.6% compare

See the full ranking of 60 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 9.1% 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 9.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2005.
How does United States rank for educational attainment rate, completed master's or equivalent?
United States ranks 12th out of 60 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 19.6%. 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, rural, both sexes (%). 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-9/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed Master's or equivalent education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
60 places, 624 data points, 1997–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release