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

Australia: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 35.4% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
35.4%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
10th
of 95 countries
All-time high
35.6%
in 2022
All-time low
18.6%
in 2001
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia, 2001–2024

0102030402001201220242001: 18.6 %2002: 19.5 %2003: 19.6 %2004: 23.5 %2005: 20.1 %2006: 22.6 %2007: 22.8 %2008: 24.1 %2009: 23.5 %2010: 28 %2011: 26.6 %2012: 28.8 %2013: 30.5 %2014: 28.3 %2015: 27.2 %2016: 28.7 %2017: 30 %2018: 30.4 %2019: 31.5 %2020: 30.8 %2021: 32.3 %2022: 35.6 %2023: 34.8 %2024: 35.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia is 35.4%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 25.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia peaked at 35.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 18.6%, in 2001.

That places Australia 10th out of 95 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.6% 18.6% 24.1% 9
2010s 29.0% 26.6% 31.5% 10
2020s 33.8% 30.8% 35.6% 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 7 United States 39.1% compare
  2. 8 Belgium 37.0% compare
  3. 9 Canada 36.9% compare
  4. 11 Switzerland 34.6% compare
  5. 12 Korea 33.8% compare
  6. 13 Sweden 33.5% compare

See the full ranking of 95 places β†’

More education data for Australia

All data for Australia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia was 35.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 35.6% in 2022.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 18.6% in 2001.
How does Australia rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Australia ranks 10th out of 95 countries with data for 2024.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-7/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary 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
95 places, 1,561 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release