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

Korea: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 44.5% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
44.5%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
21st
of 128 countries
All-time high
44.5%
in 2024
All-time low
1.8%
in 1970
Years of data
29
1970–2024

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

0102030401970199720241970: 1.8 %1975: 2.6 %1980: 4 %1985: 5.7 %1990: 7.2 %1995: 13.4 %2000: 17.8 %2002: 13.1 %2004: 23.1 %2005: 25.2 %2006: 26.2 %2007: 27.8 %2008: 29.3 %2009: 23.2 %2010: 30.1 %2011: 32.6 %2012: 33.7 %2013: 34.8 %2014: 35.8 %2015: 35.7 %2016: 37.4 %2017: 38.3 %2018: 39.4 %2019: 40.3 %2020: 40.9 %2021: 41.5 %2022: 42.3 %2023: 43.5 %2024: 44.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea is 44.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 24.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea peaked at 44.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1970.

That places Korea 21st out of 128 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.2% 1.8% 2.6% 2
1980s 4.9% 4.0% 5.7% 2
1990s 10.3% 7.2% 13.4% 2
2000s 23.2% 13.1% 29.3% 8
2010s 35.8% 30.1% 40.3% 10
2020s 42.5% 40.9% 44.5% 5

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 18 Luxembourg 46.0% compare
  2. 19 Bermuda 45.3% compare
  3. 20 Cyprus 45.3% compare
  4. 22 Puerto Rico 43.9% compare
  5. 23 Finland 43.4% compare
  6. 24 Denmark 42.7% compare

See the full ranking of 128 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 44.5% 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 44.5% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1970.
How does Korea rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Korea ranks 21st out of 128 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 24.5%. 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, female (%). 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-3/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
128 places, 2,110 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release