Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea

Korea: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 54.7% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
54.7%
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
4th
of 129 countries
All-time high
54.7%
in 2024
All-time low
10.0%
in 1970
Years of data
27
1970–2024

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea, 1970–2024

10203040501970199720241970: 10 %1975: 11.5 %1980: 14.2 %1985: 18.1 %1990: 19.9 %1995: 28.6 %2000: 30.6 %2004: 38.2 %2005: 38.6 %2006: 40.4 %2007: 41.9 %2009: 33.4 %2010: 40.8 %2011: 46.4 %2012: 47.1 %2013: 48.1 %2014: 49.1 %2015: 45.1 %2016: 50.2 %2017: 50.6 %2018: 51.4 %2019: 51.8 %2020: 52.2 %2021: 52.5 %2022: 52.9 %2023: 54 %2024: 54.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea stood at 54.7%. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea peaked at 54.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.0%, in 1970.

Korea ranks 4th of 129 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 10.7% 10.0% 11.5% 2
1980s 16.1% 14.2% 18.1% 2
1990s 24.3% 19.9% 28.6% 2
2000s 37.2% 30.6% 41.9% 6
2010s 48.1% 40.8% 51.8% 10
2020s 53.3% 52.2% 54.7% 5

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 1 Uzbekistan 65.2% compare
  2. 2 Russian Federation 61.4% compare
  3. 3 Singapore 55.5% compare
  4. 5 United Arab Emirates 53.3% compare
  5. 6 United States 47.6% compare
  6. 7 United Kingdom 46.8% compare

See the full ranking of 129 places β†’

More education data for Korea

All data for Korea β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea was 54.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 54.7% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 10.0% in 1970.
How does Korea rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Korea ranks 4th out of 129 countries with data for 2024.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Korea data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-2/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary 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
129 places, 2,126 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release