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

Korea: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 47.9% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
47.9%
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
19th
of 101 countries
All-time high
47.9%
in 2024
All-time low
4.0%
in 1970
Years of data
19
1970–2024

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

010203040501970199720241970: 4 %2000: 20.7 %2001: 14.5 %2002: 15.3 %2005: 28.8 %2009: 27.4 %2010: 33.5 %2013: 38 %2014: 39.1 %2015: 39 %2016: 40.8 %2017: 41.9 %2018: 43 %2019: 43.9 %2020: 44.4 %2021: 44.9 %2022: 45.8 %2023: 46.9 %2024: 47.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Korea recorded 47.9% for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2024. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 22.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Korea peaked at 47.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 1970.

Korea ranks 19th of 101 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 1
2000s 21.3% 14.5% 28.8% 5
2010s 39.9% 33.5% 43.9% 8
2020s 46.0% 44.4% 47.9% 5

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 16 Israel 49.0% compare
  2. 17 Latvia 48.2% compare
  3. 18 Luxembourg 47.9% compare
  4. 20 Cyprus 47.8% compare
  5. 21 Denmark 47.8% compare
  6. 22 Finland 46.5% compare

See the full ranking of 101 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 47.9% 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 47.9% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 1970.
How does Korea rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Korea ranks 19th out of 101 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 22.4%. 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, urban, 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 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-8/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,571 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release