Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes in Iran

Iran: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes was 429,305 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
429,305
Change on year
up 9.9%
World rank
16th
of 149 countries
All-time high
1.10 million
in 2015
All-time low
233,060
in 1999
Years of data
24
1999–2022

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Iran, 1999–2022

200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M1999201020221999: 233.1k2000: 278.1k2001: 330.2k2002: 346.6k2003: 404.4k2004: 496.8k2005: 598.1k2006: 720.9k2007: 736.8k2008: 766.9k2009: 766.6k2010: 1.0M2011: 1.1M2012: 1.0M2013: 927.3k2014: 1.0M2015: 1.1M2016: 822.3k2017: 748.6k2018: 654.4k2019: 511.9k2020: 436.3k2021: 390.7k2022: 429.3k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2022, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iran stood at 429,305.

The figure is up 9.9% on the previous year and down 57.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iran peaked at 1.10 million in 2015 and was at its lowest, 233,060, in 1999.

That places Iran 16th out of 149 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number) in Iran, 1999 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1999 233,060 —
2000 278,051 +19.3%
2001 330,213 +18.8%
2002 346,596 +5.0%
2003 404,439 +16.7%
2004 496,789 +22.8%
2005 598,111 +20.4%
2006 720,926 +20.5%
2007 736,775 +2.2%
2008 766,882 +4.1%
2009 766,584 -0.0%
2010 1.03 million +35.0%
2011 1.05 million +1.8%
2012 1.00 million -5.0%
2013 927,311 -7.3%
2014 1.04 million +12.6%
2015 1.10 million +5.0%
2016 822,345 -25.0%
2017 748,626 -9.0%
2018 654,441 -12.6%
2019 511,950 -21.8%
2020 436,348 -14.8%
2021 390,688 -10.5%
2022 429,305 +9.9%

Iran compared with similar countries

  • Iran's 429,305 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 37,406, 11.5× the median. (43 countries reporting)
  • Iran's 429,305 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 32,696, 13.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 233,060 233,060 233,060 1
2000s 544,537 278,051 766,882 10
2010s 889,256 511,950 1.10 million 10
2020s 418,780 390,688 436,348 3

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 13 Argentina 475,700 compare
  2. 14 Canada 441,714 compare
  3. 15 South Korea 431,394 compare
  4. 17 Australia 397,182 compare
  5. 18 Thailand 372,854 compare
  6. 19 Saudi Arabia 370,514 compare

See the full ranking of 367 places →

More education data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iran?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Iran was 429,305 in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 1.10 million in 2015.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 233,060 in 1999.
How does Iran rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
Iran ranks 16th out of 149 countries with data for 2022.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Iran. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 October 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/iran-islamic-rep/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/iran-islamic-rep/">Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Iran</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
367 places, 7,760 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release