The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) tracks tertiary education attainment using two main age cohorts:
- 25–34 year-olds: Highlights recent education trends and current entry baseline into the workforce.
- 25–64 year-olds: Reflects overall working-age population attainment.
The table below summarizes tertiary education attainment rates across OECD member nations based on recent OECD data (Education at a Glance):
Tertiary Education Attainment Rates in OECD Countries
| Country | Young Adults (Ages 25–34) | Working-Age Adults (Ages 25–64) |
| South Korea | 70.6% | 56.1% |
| Canada | 68.9% | 62.1% |
| Ireland | 66.2% | 54.0% |
| Luxembourg | 64.8% | 52.8% |
| United Kingdom | 60.3% | 51.3% |
| Japan | 66.0% | 55.5% |
| Norway | 59.0% | 51.0% |
| Lithuania | 58.3% | 48.2% |
| Australia | 57.2% | 51.5% |
| United States | 51.2% | 50.4% |
| Netherlands | 55.6% | 46.2% |
| Sweden | 56.0% | 49.3% |
| Switzerland | 54.0% | 51.0% |
| France | 50.4% | 41.6% |
| Spain | 50.5% | 41.1% |
| Germany | 37.1% | 33.5% |
| Italy | 29.2% | 20.1% |
| Mexico | 27.1% | 21.0% |
| OECD Average | 48.2% | 40.4% |
Key Takeaway: Younger generations (25–34 year-olds) across the OECD show significantly higher rates of university completion compared to the overall working-age demographic, reflecting a global expansion of post-secondary education over recent decades.
Tertiary education attainment varies significantly across the core BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) due to distinct economic priorities, demographic scales, and education system structures.
Tertiary Education Attainment Rates in Core BRICS
The table below summarizes tertiary education completion rates among adults in the original five BRICS countries based on comparative data from the OECD and UNESCO:
| Country | Young Adults (Ages 25–34) | Total Working-Age Adults (Ages 25–64) | Key Higher Education Characteristics |
| Russia | ~62% | ~54% | Historically high university completion rates; heavy emphasis on technical and vocational tertiary degrees. |
| Brazil | ~24% | ~21% | Strong growth in recent years, but limited access to public universities keeps rates below global averages. |
| China | ~27% | ~19% | Rapid expansion of tertiary enrolment over the last two decades, with a significant concentration in STEM fields. |
| India | ~21% | ~15% | Massive tertiary system by absolute volume, though overall population percentage remains relatively low. |
| South Africa | ~13% | ~10% | Structural inequalities and high tuition costs limit access to higher education degree completion. |
Key Drivers & Context
- Russia: Stands as an outlier among emerging economies with university completion rates comparable to top-tier OECD nations, driven by legacy Soviet education infrastructure.
- China & India: Despite lower overall percentage rates, their massive populations mean they produce the highest absolute number of university and college graduates globally every year.
- Brazil & South Africa: Suffer from higher dropout rates and barriers to access, though both countries have introduced affirmative action and expansion policies to improve enrolment.
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