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

France: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 39.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
39.7%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
29th
of 101 countries
All-time high
39.7%
in 2023
All-time low
16.4%
in 2006
Years of data
31
1993–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France, 1993–2023

0102030401993200820231993: 17.9 %1994: 18.7 %1995: 19.5 %1996: 18.9 %1997: 19.4 %1998: 21.2 %1999: 21.9 %2000: 22.8 %2001: 23.8 %2002: 24.6 %2003: 21.7 %2004: 22 %2005: 22.8 %2006: 16.4 %2007: 24.8 %2008: 25 %2009: 26.3 %2010: 26.6 %2011: 27.3 %2012: 28.1 %2013: 29.4 %2014: 30.8 %2015: 32.7 %2016: 31.7 %2017: 32.2 %2018: 33.7 %2019: 34.5 %2020: 36.6 %2021: 38.4 %2022: 39 %2023: 39.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France stood at 39.7%. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.

The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 35.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France peaked at 39.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 16.4%, in 2006.

France ranks 29th of 101 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.6% 17.9% 21.9% 7
2000s 23.0% 16.4% 26.3% 10
2010s 30.7% 26.6% 34.5% 10
2020s 38.4% 36.6% 39.7% 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 26 Poland 40.2% compare
  2. 27 Netherlands 39.9% compare
  3. 28 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 39.7% compare
  4. 30 Mongolia 39.2% compare
  5. 31 Belgium 38.1% compare
  6. 32 Spain 37.6% compare

See the full ranking of 101 places →

More education data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France was 39.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 39.7% in 2023.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 16.4% in 2006.
How does France rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
France ranks 29th out of 101 countries with data for 2023.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France 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, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-5/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,599 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release