More people access higher education today, and 1 in 3 adults in developed countries completed a university degree in 2012, a substantial increase from 2000, when just over 1 in 5 achieved such qualifications. According to data recently released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, more than half of adult Russians completed higher education in 2012, the same as a university degree in the United States, more than in any other country analyzed. Meanwhile, less than 4% of Chinese adults completed tertiary qualifications in 2012, less than in any other country. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed and publicized the 10 countries with the highest proportion of adults with a college degree. The most educated populations tend to be in countries where tertiary education spending is the highest. Tertiary education spending in 6 of the most educated countries was higher than the OECD average of $ 13,957. Spending on tertiary education in the United States, for example, was $ 26,021 per student, by far the largest in the world. To identify the most educated countries in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 countries with the highest proportions of 25-64 year olds with higher education in 2012. Source: themakeupexplorer.com
10. IRELAND – 39.7% POPULATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
Higher education spending per student in Ireland is $ 16,095. And almost 40% of Irish adults between the ages of 25 and 64 had qualifications in 2012. This represents a substantial increase from over a decade ago, when only 21.6% of adults had completed some form of higher education. The worsening employment opportunities in recent years may have made higher education more attractive to residents of the country.
9. NEW ZEALAND – 40.6% POPULATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
In New Zealand, spending on higher education per student is $ 10,582. Still, spending is low compared to other developed countries . And while spending less than the average per tertiary student, however, spending on all other forms of education accounted for 14.6% of total public spending in the country, more than any other country analyzed.
8. UNITED KINGDOM – 41% TERTIARY POPULATION In this country, spending on higher education per student is $ 14,222. Each student in the country has access to a contingent income loan, meaning that repayment is not necessary until the student’s income exceeds a certain threshold.
7. AUSTRALIA – 41.3% POPULATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
Spending on tertiary education per student is $ 16,267 in this country. Australia’s higher education system is one of the most popular among international students, attracting 5% of all foreign students.
6. SOUTH KOREA – 41.7% POPULATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
In Korea, tertiary (tertiary) education spending per student is $ 9,926. Koreans were the most plausible to access higher education among all countries analyzed, according to OECD.
5. UNITED STATES – 43.1% HIGHER EDUCATION POPULATION
Tertiary education spending per student in the United States is $ 26,021. Higher education spending has paid off to some extent, as most American adults have very high levels of qualification. And the United States was one of only 6 countries that cut spending on public education between 2008 and 2011.
4. ISRAEL – 46.4% POPULATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
In Israel, tertiary education spending per student is $ 11,553. Most 18-year-old Israelis are subject to at least 2 years of compulsory military service. And perhaps as a result, residents of the country tend to complete higher education courses later in life than in other countries. Mandatory enrollment, however, did not reduce school success rates, as 46% of Israeli adults achieved higher education qualifications in 2012.
3. JAPAN – 46.6% POPULATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
Japan’s tertiary education spending per student is $ 16,445. Strong spending on education and participation in higher education does not necessarily translate into superior academic skills. In Japan, however, higher spending does not lead to better learning outcomes, as over 23% of adults have achieved the highest level of reading proficiency, nearly double the OECD average of 12%.
2. CANADA – 52.6% POPULATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
In Canada, spending on tertiary education per student is $ 23,225. And more than half of Canadian adults had received tertiary qualifications in 2012, the only country outside Russia, where most adults had some form of higher education. Canadian students of all ages seem to be very well educated.
1. RUSSIAN FEDERATION – 53.5%
Higher education spending per student in the Russian Federation is $ 7,424. More than 53% of Russian adults between the ages of 25 and 64 had some form of higher education in 2012, more than in any other country reviewed by the OECD. The country has reached this exceptional level of achievement despite spending among minors on tertiary education.
