Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States

United States: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 6.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
6.5%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
21st
of 101 countries
All-time high
7.2%
in 2012
All-time low
2.7%
in 2000
Years of data
16
1999–2016

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States, 1999–2016

024681999200720161999: 2.8 %2000: 2.7 %2001: 3.7 %2002: 4.1 %2005: 5.8 %2006: 6.1 %2007: 6.4 %2008: 6.4 %2009: 6.5 %2010: 6.6 %2011: 6.9 %2012: 7.2 %2013: 6.7 %2014: 6.7 %2015: 6.6 %2016: 6.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

United States recorded 6.5% for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in 2016.

The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States peaked at 7.2% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2000.

That places United States 21st out of 101 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Services programmes, both sexes (%) in United States, 1999 to 2016.
Year % Change
1999 2.8%
2000 2.7% -4.2%
2001 3.7% +37.3%
2002 4.1% +9.8%
2005 5.8% +41.8%
2006 6.1% +5.6%
2007 6.4% +3.5%
2008 6.4% +1.2%
2009 6.5% +1.3%
2010 6.6% +1.1%
2011 6.9% +3.9%
2012 7.2% +5.6%
2013 6.7% -7.3%
2014 6.7% +0.3%
2015 6.6% -2.4%
2016 6.5% -1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 1
2000s 5.2% 2.7% 6.5% 8
2010s 6.7% 6.5% 7.2% 7

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 18 Czechia 7.3% compare
  2. 19 Estonia 6.8% compare
  3. 20 Croatia 6.7% compare
  4. 22 Turkey 6.5% compare
  5. 23 Portugal 6.1% compare
  6. 24 Slovakia 6.0% compare

See the full ranking of 101 places →

More education data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States?
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States was 6.5% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 7.2% in 2012.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2000.
How does United States rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
United States ranks 21st out of 101 countries with data for 2016.
Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Services programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in United States. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-services-programmes-both/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Services programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
101 places, 1,160 data points, 1998–2020
Last refreshed

Share of all tertiary graduates who completed services programmes in the reference year.