Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States of America
United States of America: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 19.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States of America, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States of America is 19.8%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 26.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States of America peaked at 19.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1999.
United States of America ranks 18th of 123 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 13.4% | — |
| 2013 | 15.7% | +16.8% |
| 2014 | 16.2% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 16.8% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 17.0% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 17.4% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | +13.6% |
| 2023 | 19.8% | +0.3% |
United States of America compared with similar countries
- United States of America's 19.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.8%, 1.4× the median. (59 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.4% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 16.6% | 15.7% | 17.4% | 5 |
| 2020s | 19.0% | 17.4% | 19.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 15 Palestine, State of 20.1% compare
- 16 Albania 20.1% compare
- 17 Uruguay 19.9% compare
- 19 Latvia 19.8% compare
- 20 Bosnia and Herzegovina 19.7% compare
- 21 El Salvador 19.6% compare
More education data for United States of America
- 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 graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States of America?
- Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States of America was 19.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1999.
- How does United States of America rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
- United States of America ranks 18th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in United States of America?
- 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 of America data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Health and Welfare programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release