Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
200
Highest
60.67 million
China
Lowest
37
Saint Helena
Median
190,890
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
18,321
What the numbers show
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) is currently reported for 200 countries. The highest value is 60.67 million in China; the lowest is 37 in Saint Helena.
The median across all reporting countries is 190,890, and the mean is 1.31 million.
Over the past decade 145 countries rose and 49 fell. The largest increase was in Gambia (up 1,062.4%), and the largest decrease in Cook Islands (down 84.9%).
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 60.67 million | 2024 | up 44.7% | volatile |
| 2 | India | 43.90 million | 2025 | up 36.7% | volatile |
| 3 | United States | 18.05 million | 2023 | down 8.4% | falling |
| 4 | Brazil | 10.55 million | 2024 | up 30.7% | volatile |
| 5 | Indonesia | 9.85 million | 2023 | up 53.4% | volatile |
| 6 | Turkey | 7.00 million | 2023 | up 40.6% | volatile |
| 7 | Mexico | 5.39 million | 2024 | up 57.7% | volatile |
| 8 | Philippines | 5.14 million | 2024 | up 44.3% | volatile |
| 9 | Russia | 4.52 million | 2024 | down 35.3% | rising |
| 10 | Bangladesh | 3.95 million | 2024 | up 90.9% | volatile |
| 11 | Japan | 3.88 million | 2023 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 12 | Egypt | 3.87 million | 2025 | up 51.7% | volatile |
| 13 | Argentina | 3.74 million | 2023 | up 35.0% | volatile |
| 14 | Iran | 3.34 million | 2022 | down 24.1% | volatile |
| 15 | Germany | 3.27 million | 2024 | up 12.4% | rising |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 3.20 million | 2023 | up 34.0% | rising |
| 17 | France | 2.88 million | 2024 | up 20.5% | rising |
| 18 | South Korea | 2.73 million | 2024 | down 17.7% | volatile |
| 19 | Pakistan | 2.68 million | 2024 | up 38.9% | volatile |
| 20 | Vietnam | 2.49 million | 2024 | down 7.6% | volatile |
| 21 | Colombia | 2.47 million | 2022 | up 25.9% | volatile |
| 22 | Spain | 2.44 million | 2024 | up 23.3% | rising |
| 23 | Italy | 2.22 million | 2023 | up 18.4% | rising |
| 24 | Thailand | 2.17 million | 2025 | down 3.1% | volatile |
| 25 | Venezuela | 2.12 million | 2009 | up 217.8% | volatile |
| 26 | Saudi Arabia | 2.01 million | 2024 | up 34.3% | volatile |
| 27 | Peru | 1.90 million | 2017 | up 99.3% | volatile |
| 28 | Canada | 1.84 million | 2023 | up 18.1% | rising |
| 29 | Australia | 1.83 million | 2024 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 30 | Algeria | 1.66 million | 2024 | up 33.2% | volatile |
| 31 | Ukraine | 1.58 million | 2024 | down 26.4% | rising |
| 32 | Uzbekistan | 1.56 million | 2025 | up 496.9% | volatile |
| 33 | Nigeria | 1.51 million | 2011 | up 116.5% | volatile |
| 34 | Morocco | 1.44 million | 2024 | up 82.4% | volatile |
| 35 | Poland | 1.40 million | 2024 | down 20.7% | volatile |
| 36 | Chile | 1.37 million | 2024 | up 13.9% | volatile |
| 37 | South Africa | 1.19 million | 2023 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 38 | Malaysia | 1.17 million | 2024 | up 3.5% | volatile |
| 39 | Ecuador | 1.09 million | 2023 | up 86.5% | volatile |
| 40 | Netherlands | 985,327 | 2023 | up 24.1% | rising |
| 41 | Myanmar | 932,199 | 2018 | up 83.6% | volatile |
| 42 | Greece | 872,882 | 2023 | up 32.4% | volatile |
| 43 | Kazakhstan | 768,980 | 2025 | up 16.8% | rising |
| 44 | Syria | 697,415 | 2016 | up 63.9% | volatile |
| 45 | Ghana | 693,463 | 2024 | up 72.4% | volatile |
| 46 | Sudan | 653,088 | 2015 | up 79.4% | rising |
| 47 | Nepal | 633,053 | 2024 | up 51.2% | volatile |
| 48 | Kenya | 611,146 | 2024 | up 45.1% | volatile |
| 49 | Ethiopia | 587,015 | 2014 | up 241.1% | volatile |
| 50 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 564,421 | 2020 | up 49.4% | volatile |
| 51 | Belgium | 550,999 | 2023 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 52 | Romania | 538,720 | 2023 | down 12.9% | volatile |
| 53 | Dominican Republic | 532,998 | 2024 | up 16.9% | volatile |
| 54 | Guatemala | 504,766 | 2023 | up 61.0% | volatile |
| 55 | Sweden | 494,296 | 2024 | up 15.1% | rising |
| 56 | Cameroon | 447,513 | 2024 | up 28.0% | volatile |
| 57 | Austria | 442,235 | 2024 | up 5.0% | volatile |
| 58 | Afghanistan | 430,980 | 2020 | up 352.8% | volatile |
| 59 | Portugal | 428,206 | 2023 | up 26.9% | volatile |
| 60 | Iraq | 424,908 | 2005 | up 56.5% | volatile |
| 61 | Jordan | 420,598 | 2024 | up 34.5% | volatile |
| 62 | Israel | 411,478 | 2024 | up 9.2% | volatile |
| 63 | Libya | 375,028 | 2003 | up 414.4% | volatile |
| 64 | United Arab Emirates | 367,651 | 2024 | up 33.5% | volatile |
| 65 | Sri Lanka | 358,218 | 2023 | up 20.3% | volatile |
| 66 | Cote d'Ivoire | 346,786 | 2024 | up 96.5% | volatile |
| 67 | Angola | 343,108 | 2024 | up 56.9% | volatile |
| 68 | Finland | 338,808 | 2024 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 69 | Czechia | 338,556 | 2023 | down 20.8% | volatile |
| 70 | Switzerland | 337,303 | 2024 | up 16.4% | volatile |
| 71 | Cambodia | 316,105 | 2024 | up 45.4% | volatile |
| 72 | Norway | 315,674 | 2024 | up 19.5% | rising |
| 73 | Hungary | 310,414 | 2024 | down 5.8% | volatile |
| 74 | Belarus | 306,459 | 2024 | down 40.8% | rising |
| 75 | Tunisia | 305,918 | 2023 | down 9.3% | volatile |
| 76 | Tajikistan | 304,005 | 2024 | up 45.3% | rising |
| 77 | Kyrgyzstan | 297,355 | 2025 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 78 | Hong Kong | 291,578 | 2024 | down 4.4% | volatile |
| 79 | Denmark | 290,902 | 2024 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 80 | Azerbaijan | 288,593 | 2024 | up 47.7% | rising |
| 81 | Senegal | 279,917 | 2024 | up 98.3% | volatile |
| 82 | Cuba | 272,516 | 2024 | down 9.7% | volatile |
| 83 | Yemen | 267,498 | 2011 | up 38.3% | rising |
| 84 | Lebanon | 265,390 | 2023 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 85 | Tanzania | 252,098 | 2024 | up 59.3% | volatile |
| 86 | New Zealand | 251,357 | 2024 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 87 | Serbia | 249,768 | 2024 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 88 | Honduras | 247,706 | 2024 | up 33.3% | volatile |
| 89 | Ireland | 247,231 | 2022 | up 28.3% | volatile |
| 90 | Burkina Faso | 225,902 | 2024 | up 177.8% | volatile |
| 91 | Paraguay | 225,211 | 2010 | up 171.1% | volatile |
| 92 | Palestine | 223,977 | 2023 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 93 | Costa Rica | 221,811 | 2019 | up 13.8% | volatile |
| 94 | Mozambique | 213,930 | 2018 | up 183.5% | volatile |
| 95 | Uruguay | 202,346 | 2023 | up 28.3% | rising |
| 96 | El Salvador | 195,949 | 2024 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 97 | Bulgaria | 195,697 | 2024 | down 30.9% | rising |
| 98 | Singapore | 194,409 | 2023 | down 23.9% | volatile |
| 99 | Panama | 191,589 | 2023 | up 36.6% | volatile |
| 100 | Nicaragua | 190,957 | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 101 | Georgia | 190,822 | 2025 | up 49.5% | flat |
| 102 | Madagascar | 189,752 | 2023 | up 95.5% | volatile |
| 103 | Uganda | 165,396 | 2014 | up 87.2% | volatile |
| 104 | Puerto Rico | 159,149 | 2023 | down 35.2% | rising |
| 105 | Croatia | 158,754 | 2023 | down 3.6% | rising |
| 106 | Mongolia | 150,282 | 2024 | down 10.7% | volatile |
| 107 | Slovakia | 141,119 | 2024 | down 28.7% | rising |
| 108 | Oman | 131,805 | 2024 | up 11.4% | volatile |
| 109 | Rwanda | 130,474 | 2024 | up 68.3% | volatile |
| 110 | Benin | 128,673 | 2022 | up 4.4% | volatile |
| 111 | Zimbabwe | 127,910 | 2024 | up 35.9% | volatile |
| 112 | Kuwait | 121,840 | 2021 | up 15.1% | volatile |
| 113 | Albania | 120,063 | 2024 | down 31.8% | volatile |
| 114 | Guinea | 117,943 | 2014 | up 585.0% | volatile |
| 115 | Togo | 114,956 | 2020 | up 105.4% | volatile |
| 116 | Turkmenistan | 102,357 | 2024 | up 130.5% | rising |
| 117 | Lithuania | 100,744 | 2024 | down 32.1% | rising |
| 118 | Armenia | 96,565 | 2024 | down 14.6% | rising |
| 119 | Malawi | 94,991 | 2024 | up 610.6% | volatile |
| 120 | Burundi | 83,195 | 2025 | up 62.4% | volatile |
| 121 | Mali | 83,150 | 2015 | up 267.4% | volatile |
| 122 | Niger | 80,415 | 2019 | up 402.8% | volatile |
| 123 | Slovenia | 79,987 | 2023 | down 18.1% | rising |
| 124 | Moldova | 79,541 | 2024 | down 31.6% | falling |
| 125 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 76,962 | 2023 | down 31.7% | rising |
| 126 | Jamaica | 74,537 | 2015 | up 56.6% | volatile |
| 127 | Latvia | 74,017 | 2024 | down 17.5% | rising |
| 128 | Chad | 68,081 | 2020 | up 207.6% | volatile |
| 129 | Namibia | 67,906 | 2022 | up 64.6% | volatile |
| 130 | Cyprus | 58,808 | 2024 | up 74.6% | volatile |
| 131 | North Macedonia | 58,334 | 2023 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 132 | Zambia | 56,680 | 2012 | up 144.8% | volatile |
| 133 | Fiji | 56,412 | 2024 | down 1.5% | volatile |
| 134 | Macao | 55,611 | 2024 | up 88.4% | volatile |
| 135 | Congo | 55,025 | 2023 | up 48.6% | volatile |
| 136 | Bahrain | 54,310 | 2024 | up 42.5% | volatile |
| 137 | Botswana | 53,188 | 2024 | down 3.5% | volatile |
| 138 | Qatar | 49,699 | 2024 | up 96.8% | volatile |
| 139 | Laos | 46,242 | 2024 | down 64.4% | volatile |
| 140 | Estonia | 44,377 | 2024 | down 26.0% | rising |
| 141 | Liberia | 43,883 | 2012 | down 16.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Mauritius | 43,632 | 2024 | up 7.8% | volatile |
| 143 | Gambia | 27,304 | 2024 | up 1,062.4% | volatile |
| 144 | Mauritania | 24,444 | 2020 | up 68.2% | volatile |
| 145 | Trinidad and Tobago | 22,384 | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Lesotho | 21,586 | 2018 | up 154.0% | volatile |
| 147 | Montenegro | 21,177 | 2023 | down 15.2% | rising |
| 148 | Malta | 21,120 | 2023 | up 68.0% | volatile |
| 149 | Iceland | 20,287 | 2023 | up 6.2% | volatile |
| 150 | Guyana | 18,454 | 2024 | up 108.4% | volatile |
| 151 | Maldives | 16,632 | 2022 | up 173.1% | volatile |
| 152 | Somalia | 15,672 | 1987 | up 668.2% | volatile |
| 153 | Brunei | 13,210 | 2023 | up 50.2% | volatile |
| 154 | Central African Republic | 12,522 | 2012 | up 98.0% | volatile |
| 155 | Comoros | 12,149 | 2017 | up 367.6% | volatile |
| 156 | Cape Verde | 11,659 | 2018 | up 75.1% | volatile |
| 157 | Bhutan | 11,290 | 2024 | up 32.2% | volatile |
| 158 | Eritrea | 10,231 | 2016 | up 121.8% | volatile |
| 159 | Gabon | 10,076 | 2003 | up 146.7% | volatile |
| 160 | Papua New Guinea | 9,943 | 1999 | up 55.4% | rising |
| 161 | Belize | 9,819 | 2024 | up 13.7% | volatile |
| 162 | Grenada | 9,260 | 2018 | up 38.4% | volatile |
| 163 | Barbados | 9,227 | 2025 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 164 | Sierra Leone | 9,041 | 2002 | up 90.7% | volatile |
| 165 | Luxembourg | 8,364 | 2024 | up 21.3% | volatile |
| 166 | Eswatini | 8,057 | 2013 | up 55.2% | volatile |
| 167 | Guam | 7,300 | 1989 | up 62.2% | rising |
| 168 | Haiti | 6,288 | 1986 | up 118.3% | rising |
| 169 | Djibouti | 4,705 | 2011 | up 848.6% | volatile |
| 170 | Bahamas | 3,960 | 1995 | down 0.1% | falling |
| 171 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3,546 | 2015 | up 312.8% | volatile |
| 172 | Tonga | 3,477 | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 173 | Andorra | 3,015 | 2024 | up 505.4% | volatile |
| 174 | Samoa | 2,891 | 2024 | up 22.2% | volatile |
| 175 | United States Virgin Islands | 2,488 | 2007 | down 14.9% | rising |
| 176 | Sao Tome and Principe | 2,336 | 2015 | up 231.8% | rising |
| 177 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2,035 | 2023 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 178 | Saint Lucia | 1,992 | 2023 | down 14.2% | volatile |
| 179 | American Samoa | 1,607 | 2007 | — | rising |
| 180 | Micronesia (country) | 1,539 | 2000 | — | rising |
| 181 | Marshall Islands | 1,449 | 2024 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 182 | Suriname | 1,417 | 2024 | down 49.1% | falling |
| 183 | Monaco | 1,304 | 2024 | up 57.9% | rising |
| 184 | Seychelles | 1,203 | 2024 | up 150.1% | rising |
| 185 | San Marino | 1,033 | 2024 | up 18.5% | flat |
| 186 | Liechtenstein | 971 | 2021 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 187 | Vanuatu | 955 | 2004 | up 48.5% | rising |
| 188 | Cayman Islands | 912 | 2008 | up 188.6% | rising |
| 189 | Aruba | 867 | 2024 | down 65.9% | rising |
| 190 | Palau | 768 | 2024 | down 11.0% | rising |
| 191 | New Caledonia | 761 | 1985 | up 327.5% | volatile |
| 192 | British Virgin Islands | 713 | 2024 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 193 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 647 | 2023 | up 126.2% | volatile |
| 194 | Bermuda | 583 | 2023 | down 51.7% | rising |
| 195 | Dominica | 484 | 1993 | up 734.5% | volatile |
| 196 | French Polynesia | 301 | 1992 | up 713.5% | volatile |
| 197 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 179 | 2023 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 198 | Cook Islands | 113 | 2024 | down 84.9% | volatile |
| 199 | Anguilla | 54 | 2008 | up 350.0% | rising |
| 200 | Saint Helena | 37 | 1982 | — | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- MDG: World 268.57 million
- SDG: World 268.57 million
- UIS: World 268.57 million
- WB: World 268.57 million
- UNICEF: World 268.06 million
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 220.95 million
- WB: Ida & Ibrd Total 215.63 million
- WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) 210.74 million
- MDG: Developing Regions 210.26 million
- WB: Middle Income (july 2025) 203.95 million
- WB: Ibrd Only 192.21 million
- ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) 167.63 million
- AIMS: Asia and the Pacific 150.98 million
- WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) 119.33 million
- WB: Early-demographic Dividend 111.79 million
- WB: Late-demographic Dividend 96.84 million
- WB: East Asia & Pacific 93.00 million
- AIMS: East Asia and the Pacific 92.85 million
- UIS: East Asia and the Pacific 92.85 million
- UNICEF: East Asia and Pacific 92.65 million
- ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) 91.29 million
- SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia 90.95 million
- AIMS: East Asia 90.80 million
- UNICEF: East Asia and the Pacific Programme Countries 83.90 million
- WB: East Asia & Pacific (excluding High Income) 83.88 million
- WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) 83.42 million
- ESCAP: Wb Lower Middle Income Economies (wb_lower_mid) (unsdcode:98438) 82.73 million
- WB: Lower Middle Income (july 2025) 76.39 million
- ESCAP: East and North-east Asia (enea) (unsdcode:98408) 68.23 million
- SDG: Eastern Asia 68.23 million
- WB: Oecd Members 67.28 million
- MDG: Eastern Asia 64.39 million
- ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) 64.18 million
- WB: High Income (july 2025) 64.03 million
- ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 63.45 million
- MDG: Developed Regions 58.31 million
- SDG: Central and Southern Asia 57.98 million
- AIMS: South and West Asia 55.16 million
- MDG: Southern Asia 55.16 million
- SDG: Southern Asia 55.16 million
About this data
February 2026 Data Release