Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and in United States

United States: Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and was 20,994 Thousand in 2012. ▲ Rising

Latest (2012)
20,994 Thousand
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
1st
of 45 countries
All-time high
21,016 Thousand
in 2011
All-time low
16,612 Thousand
in 2003
Years of data
10
2003–2012

Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and in United States, 2003–2012

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k2003200720122003: 16.6k Thousand2004: 16.9k Thousand2005: 17.3k Thousand2006: 17.5k Thousand2007: 17.8k Thousand2008: 18.2k Thousand2009: 19.1k Thousand2010: 20.4k Thousand2011: 21.0k Thousand2012: 21.0k Thousand

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand.

Analysis

In 2012, participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and in United States stood at 20,994 Thousand.

The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 26.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and in United States peaked at 21,016 Thousand in 2011 and was at its lowest, 16,612 Thousand, in 2003.

United States ranks 1st of 45 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and in United States, year by year

Annual values for Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and field of education (1998-2012) in United States, 2003 to 2012.
Year Thousand Change
2003 16,612 Thousand
2004 16,900 Thousand +1.7%
2005 17,272 Thousand +2.2%
2006 17,488 Thousand +1.2%
2007 17,759 Thousand +1.6%
2008 18,248 Thousand +2.8%
2009 19,103 Thousand +4.7%
2010 20,428 Thousand +6.9%
2011 21,016 Thousand +2.9%
2012 20,994 Thousand -0.1%

United States compared with similar countries

  • United States's 20,994 Thousand is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.5 Thousand, 55.8× the median. (33 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17,626 Thousand 16,612 Thousand 19,103 Thousand 7
2010s 20,813 Thousand 20,428 Thousand 21,016 Thousand 3

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 1 United States 20,994 Thousand compare
  2. 3 Türkiye 4,354 Thousand compare
  3. 4 Japan 3,885 Thousand compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More education data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and in United States?
Participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and in United States was 20,994 Thousand in 2012, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 21,016 Thousand in 2011.
What is the lowest participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 16,612 Thousand in 2003.
How does United States rank for participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and?
United States ranks 1st out of 45 countries with data for 2012.
Is participation in tertiary education (isced 1997) by sex, level and rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and field of education (1998-2012). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and in United States. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/participation-in-tertiary-education-isced-1997-by-sex-level-and-field-of-education-1998/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Participation in tertiary education (ISCED 1997) by sex, level and field of education (1998-2012)
Unit
Thousand
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 465 data points, 2003–2012
Last refreshed