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

Republic of Korea: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 52.9% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
52.9%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
7th
of 101 countries
All-time high
52.9%
in 2024
All-time low
11.2%
in 1970
Years of data
19
1970–2024

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

10203040501970199720241970: 11.2 %2000: 27.5 %2001: 21.8 %2002: 22.4 %2005: 35.5 %2009: 32.4 %2010: 38.7 %2013: 44.7 %2014: 45.7 %2015: 43.6 %2016: 47.2 %2017: 48 %2018: 48.9 %2019: 49.6 %2020: 50 %2021: 50.4 %2022: 50.9 %2023: 52 %2024: 52.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Republic of Korea recorded 52.9% for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2024. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.8% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Republic of Korea peaked at 52.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.2%, in 1970.

Republic of Korea ranks 7th of 101 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 11.2% 11.2% 11.2% 1
2000s 27.9% 21.8% 35.5% 5
2010s 45.8% 38.7% 49.6% 8
2020s 51.2% 50.0% 52.9% 5

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 4 Republic of Moldova 56.4% compare
  2. 5 Ireland 56.1% compare
  3. 6 Australia 53.4% compare
  4. 8 Armenia 52.4% compare
  5. 9 Canada 52.1% compare
  6. 10 United States 52.1% compare

See the full ranking of 101 places β†’

More education data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Republic of Korea?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Republic of Korea was 52.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 52.9% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 11.2% in 1970.
How does Republic of Korea rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Republic of Korea ranks 7th out of 101 countries with data for 2024.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Republic of 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, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Republic of Korea. 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/korea-rep/

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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