Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 … tertiary 8 both sexes in South Korea
South Korea: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 … tertiary 8 both sexes was 87,354 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in South Korea, 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in South Korea is 87,354, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 24.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in South Korea peaked at 87,354 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 23,261, in 1997.
South Korea ranks 11th of 143 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 … tertiary 8 both sexes in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 23,261 | — |
| 1998 | 26,291 | +13.0% |
| 1999 | 28,924 | +10.0% |
| 2000 | 31,787 | +9.9% |
| 2001 | 32,884 | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 34,712 | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 36,226 | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 38,645 | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 41,055 | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 43,443 | +5.8% |
| 2007 | 47,560 | +9.5% |
| 2008 | 49,402 | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 50,386 | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 53,533 | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 59,699 | +11.5% |
| 2012 | 62,312 | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 65,938 | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 69,975 | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 72,558 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 74,215 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 74,342 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 74,750 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 75,942 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 78,945 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | 81,736 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 84,967 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 86,078 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 87,354 | +1.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 87,354 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,720, 10.0× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 87,354 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11,700, 7.5× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26,159 | 23,261 | 28,924 | 3 |
| 2000s | 40,610 | 31,787 | 50,386 | 10 |
| 2010s | 68,326 | 53,533 | 75,942 | 10 |
| 2020s | 83,816 | 78,945 | 87,354 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More education data for South Korea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 233,046 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 76 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 434,627 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 412,067 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.51 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -4.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0484 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in South Korea?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in South Korea was 87,354 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 87,354 in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 23,261 in 1997.
- How does South Korea rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes?
- South Korea ranks 11th out of 143 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release