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

France: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 20.6% in 2020. β–² Rising

Latest (2020)
20.6%
Change on year
down 16.7%
World rank
34th
of 95 countries
All-time high
24.7%
in 2019
All-time low
6.8%
in 2006
Years of data
28
1993–2020

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France, 1993–2020

5101520251993200620201993: 8.9 %1994: 9.1 %1995: 9.5 %1996: 9.1 %1997: 9.8 %1998: 10.8 %1999: 11.3 %2000: 11.6 %2001: 12.1 %2002: 12.6 %2003: 11.4 %2004: 13.4 %2005: 14.4 %2006: 6.8 %2007: 16.2 %2008: 17.2 %2009: 17.8 %2010: 17.3 %2011: 18.2 %2012: 19.1 %2013: 20.3 %2014: 21.5 %2015: 22.9 %2016: 22.5 %2017: 23.4 %2018: 20.2 %2019: 24.7 %2020: 20.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France is 20.6%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of down 16.7% on the previous year and up 19.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in France peaked at 24.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2006.

That places France 34th out of 95 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.8% 8.9% 11.3% 7
2000s 13.4% 6.8% 17.8% 10
2010s 21.0% 17.3% 24.7% 10
2020s 20.6% 20.6% 20.6% 1

Countries ranked near France

  1. 31 Malta 21.3% compare
  2. 32 Republic of Moldova 21.0% compare
  3. 33 Azerbaijan 20.8% compare
  4. 35 Tonga 19.9% compare
  5. 36 Philippines 18.5% compare
  6. 37 Brunei Darussalam 17.7% compare

See the full ranking of 95 places β†’

More education data for France

All data for France β†’

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 20.6% in 2020, 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 24.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2006.
How does France rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
France ranks 34th out of 95 countries with data for 2020.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.1%. 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, rural, 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 20 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-7/france/

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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