Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in United States
United States: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 72.4% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in United States, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
United States recorded 72.4% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in United States peaked at 74.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 70.9%, in 1999.
That places United States 90th out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 70.9% | — |
| 2013 | 72.2% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 72.5% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 72.7% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 73.1% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 73.6% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 73.7% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 74.0% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 73.3% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 72.4% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 71.9% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 72.4% | +0.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 72.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 80.5%, 90% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 70.9% | 70.9% | 70.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 73.1% | 72.2% | 74.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 72.5% | 71.9% | 73.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More education data for United States
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.74 million (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in United States?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in United States was 72.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 74.0% in 2019.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.9% in 1999.
- How does United States rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- United States ranks 90th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release