best education in the world

6 charts on education around the world

The OECD report card is in. How does your country compare? Image:  REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

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The world is more educated than ever before , with the average number of years spent in school increasing constantly. So how do levels of education in your country compare?

A new report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance 2017 , looks at the state of education in all 35 member countries and a number of partner countries.

It found that 85% of young adults (aged 25 to 34) have attained upper secondary education, which typically starts at around 15 or 16 years old.

Almost half (43%) have gone further and have a tertiary degree. In some countries the proportion of young adults with a university degree is even higher, at 50% or more including Canada (61%), Ireland (52%), Japan (60%), Korea (70%), Lithuania (55%) and the Russian Federation (60%).

Primary and secondary education

On average across OECD countries, only 6% of adults have not gone further than primary school.

In some countries, however, this percentage is much higher. A quarter of young adults in China (25%) and Saudi Arabia (24%) never made it past primary school. This figure rises to around one-third or more in Costa Rica (29%), Indonesia (43%), Portugal (30%), and Turkey (43%).

The share of young adults who have not reached upper secondary education is 16% on average across OECD countries.

But it’s much higher than that in some countries: more than half of young adults lack an upper secondary or higher education in China (64%), Costa Rica (51%), India (64%), Indonesia (53%), Mexico (53%) and South Africa (51%).

Parental education really matters

The most important factor when it comes to predicting a child’s future education level is parental education.

A young person is much more likely to study for a degree if one or both of their parents have.

The only exception is Japan, where gender and parents’ educational attainment seem to have an equal influence.

What do they study?

Business, administration and law are by far the most popular areas of study in the countries surveyed, chosen by around one in four students (23%).

This varies across countries, of course. In Korea it’s only 14%, while in Luxembourg it’s 37%.

Yet in terms of employability, young people would be better off studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, according to the report.

Only 16% study engineering, construction and manufacturing, and less than 5% of students opt for information and communication technologies (ICT), despite graduates in these subjects having the highest employment rate on average across OECD countries.

The gender imbalance

Women’s participation in higher education has been increasing across the countries surveyed in recent years. Women are also more likely to complete their degrees than men .

Yet they will earn less.

Average earnings are higher for degree-educated men than for their female peers. Also, rates of employment for men with tertiary degrees tend to be higher than for women with the same level of education.

There is an obvious gender gap in the subjects that young adults choose at university. Far more women than men choose to study education and health and welfare.

And many more men than women study STEM subjects and ICT. Close to three out of four engineering students and four out of five ICT students are men.

That’s despite the fact that on average, girls outperform boys in the PISA science test .

Results from the PISA 2015 assessment indicate that boys’ and girls’ career paths start to diverge well before they actually select a career.

Boys are more likely than girls to envisage themselves in a science-related career when they are 30. Meanwhile, more than seven out of 10 teachers on average across OECD countries are women. Given the number of women choosing to study education versus men, this is unlikely to change soon. Teachers earn up to 60% less on average than similarly educated workers.

Graduate premium

There is also a gender imbalance for the graduate premium – the extra money a graduate can expect to earn as a result of the extra study.

There are only two countries where women see a higher net return from university study than men: Spain and Estonia. For the average woman elsewhere, net financial returns for tertiary education are $167,400, representing only two-thirds of those for a man.

In seven countries, men saw a higher return of up to 50%. The difference was particularly pronounced in Japan, where male graduates can expect a net financial return of almost $240,000, compared with just $28,200 for women.

Spending on education

As a percentage of GDP, the UK spends more on education than any other OECD country, followed closely by Denmark and New Zealand.

France and Sweden spend the least as a percentage of their GDP.

Benefits of higher education

The benefits of a university education remain high. University graduates are more likely to be employed, they earn 56% more than those without a degree, and they are less likely to suffer from depression.

“Tertiary education promises huge rewards for individuals, but education systems need to do a better job of explaining to young people what studies offer the greatest opportunities for life,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría .

“Equitable and high-quality education fuels personal fulfilment as well as economic growth. Countries must step up their efforts to ensure that education meets the needs of today’s children and informs their aspirations for the future.”

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Top performing countries

Learn about the world’s best performing education systems and what sets them apart..

NCEE provides information about and analysis of the education systems in top-performing countries around the world. With the release of the 2022 PISA results, NCEE will be identifying a new list of top-performing countries, combining the new PISA results with a set of other measures as we continue to modernize our benchmarking. Stay tuned to this space for further updates.

The list of top performers below was generated from the PISA 2018 results. We identified this group of countries by looking at achievement in all three tested subjects. We also eliminated any top performers who did not perform at or above the OECD average on at least one of two key equity measures: percent of resilient students (students from the lowest socio-economic quartile who perform at the highest levels) and percent of low performers (those who perform below level 2 on PISA).

The PISA 2018 list is: Canada, China (including the provinces of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang), Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Our objective is to learn from countries and economies and adapt those lessons for use in the United States at the national, state or district levels.

Canada turned in one of the strongest records of student ach...

Estonia emerged as a top performer on PISA 2012, ranking 11t...

Finland outperformed all other jurisdictions on the first PI...

Hong Kong emerged as a world educational leader on the first...

Japan has consistently performed well on major education sur...

The experience of Poland over the last three decades provide...

Shanghai-China

With over 1.36 billion people, China is the world’s most p...

Singapore is an extraordinary success story. In less than 50...

In the 2015 PISA assessments, South Korea ranked seventh in...

An island of 23.4 million people, Taiwan is heavily influenc...

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Global Education

By: Hannah Ritchie , Veronika Samborska , Natasha Ahuja , Esteban Ortiz-Ospina and Max Roser

A good education offers individuals the opportunity to lead richer, more interesting lives. At a societal level, it creates opportunities for humanity to solve its pressing problems.

The world has gone through a dramatic transition over the last few centuries, from one where very few had any basic education to one where most people do. This is not only reflected in the inputs to education – enrollment and attendance – but also in outcomes, where literacy rates have greatly improved.

Getting children into school is also not enough. What they learn matters. There are large differences in educational outcomes : in low-income countries, most children cannot read by the end of primary school. These inequalities in education exacerbate poverty and existing inequalities in global incomes .

On this page, you can find all of our writing and data on global education.

Key insights on Global Education

The world has made substantial progress in increasing basic levels of education.

Access to education is now seen as a fundamental right – in many cases, it’s the government’s duty to provide it.

But formal education is a very recent phenomenon. In the chart, we see the share of the adult population – those older than 15 – that has received some basic education and those who haven’t.

In the early 1800s, fewer than 1 in 5 adults had some basic education. Education was a luxury; in all places, it was only available to a small elite.

But you can see that this share has grown dramatically, such that this ratio is now reversed. Less than 1 in 5 adults has not received any formal education.

This is reflected in literacy data , too: 200 years ago, very few could read and write. Now most adults have basic literacy skills.

What you should know about this data

• Basic education is defined as receiving some kind of formal primary, secondary, or tertiary (post-secondary) education.
• This indicator does not tell us how long a person received formal education. They could have received a full program of schooling, or may only have been in attendance for a short period. To account for such differences, researchers measure the mean years of schooling or the expected years of schooling .

Despite being in school, many children learn very little

International statistics often focus on attendance as the marker of educational progress.

However, being in school does not guarantee that a child receives high-quality education. In fact, in many countries, the data shows that children learn very little.

Just half – 48% – of the world’s children can read with comprehension by the end of primary school. It’s based on data collected over a 9-year period, with 2016 as the average year of collection.

This is shown in the chart, where we plot averages across countries with different income levels. 1

The situation in low-income countries is incredibly worrying, with 90% of children unable to read by that age.

This can be improved – even among high-income countries. The best-performing countries have rates as low as 2%. That’s more than four times lower than the average across high-income countries.

Making sure that every child gets to go to school is essential. But the world also needs to focus on what children learn once they’re in the classroom.

Millions of children learn only very little. How can the world provide a better education to the next generation?

Research suggests that many children – especially in the world’s poorest countries – learn only very little in school. What can we do to improve this?

• This data does not capture total literacy over someone’s lifetime. Many children will learn to read eventually, even if they cannot read by the end of primary school. However, this means they are in a constant state of “catching up” and will leave formal education far behind where they could be.

Children across the world receive very different amounts of quality learning

There are still significant inequalities in the amount of education children get across the world.

This can be measured as the total number of years that children spend in school. However, researchers can also adjust for the quality of education to estimate how many years of quality learning they receive. This is done using an indicator called “learning-adjusted years of schooling”.

On the map, you see vast differences across the world.

In many of the world’s poorest countries, children receive less than three years of learning-adjusted schooling. In most rich countries, this is more than 10 years.

Across most countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa – where the largest share of children live – the average years of quality schooling are less than 7.

• Learning-adjusted years of schooling merge the quantity and quality of education into one metric, accounting for the fact that similar durations of schooling can yield different learning outcomes.
• Learning-adjusted years is computed by adjusting the expected years of school based on the quality of learning, as measured by the harmonized test scores from various international student achievement testing programs. The adjustment involves multiplying the expected years of school by the ratio of the most recent harmonized test score to 625. Here, 625 signifies advanced attainment on the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) test, with 300 representing minimal attainment. These scores are measured in TIMSS-equivalent units.

Hundreds of millions of children worldwide do not go to school

While most children worldwide get the opportunity to go to school, hundreds of millions still don’t.

In the chart, we see the number of children who aren’t in school across primary and secondary education.

This number was around 260 million in 2019.

Many children who attend primary school drop out and do not attend secondary school. That means many more children or adolescents are missing from secondary school than primary education.

Access to basic education: almost 60 million children of primary school age are not in school

The world has made a lot of progress in recent generations, but millions of children are still not in school.

The gender gap in school attendance has closed across most of the world

Globally, until recently, boys were more likely to attend school than girls. The world has focused on closing this gap to ensure every child gets the opportunity to go to school.

Today, these gender gaps have largely disappeared. In the chart, we see the difference in the global enrollment rates for primary, secondary, and tertiary (post-secondary) education. The share of children who complete primary school is also shown.

We see these lines converging over time, and recently they met: rates between boys and girls are the same.

For tertiary education, young women are now more likely than young men to be enrolled.

While the differences are small globally, there are some countries where the differences are still large: girls in Afghanistan, for example, are much less likely to go to school than boys.

Research & Writing

Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. We are all losing out because of this.

Access to basic education: almost 60 million children of primary school age are not in school, interactive charts on global education.

This data comes from a paper by João Pedro Azevedo et al.

João Pedro Azevedo, Diana Goldemberg, Silvia Montoya, Reema Nayar, Halsey Rogers, Jaime Saavedra, Brian William Stacy (2021) – “ Will Every Child Be Able to Read by 2030? Why Eliminating Learning Poverty Will Be Harder Than You Think, and What to Do About It .” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 9588, March 2021.

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“Education,” as Nelson Mandela said, “is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

And while every country on Earth has a schooling system, there’s a vast discrepancy in how well each country is able to use it and arm its children with education, leaving the most successful, high-income nations racing ahead of the struggling ones.

“When it's shown as an average number of years in school and levels of achievement, the developing world is about 100 years behind developed countries,” according to the Brookings Institution.

Read More: 5 Countries Where College Is Free

The best of the best keep student-teacher ratios low, kids in school longer, and graduate the greatest number of students with a quality education. Who are these powerhouses? Read on to learn about 10 of the countries that get a figurative A+ in education — and can school the rest of the world on how it’s done.

What’s up down under? Education for all. Placing at the top of the Education Index in the United Nations’ Human Development Report , the country-continent of 24 million expects students will complete an impressive 20-plus years of schooling (The U.S., for comparison, expects 16). In fact, 100% of preschool, primary- and secondary-school age kids are enrolled — and 94% of citizens over 25 have at least some secondary education. Hand-in-hand with full classrooms (in a teacher-student ratio of 14:1), Australia admirably supports its educators. The nation gives incentives to teachers taking rural hardship postings and, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s 2015 Education for All Global Monitoring Report , is taking notable “steps toward pay parity for teachers at all levels.”

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Jul 27, 2016 at 12:32am PDT

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Thanks to an intense focus on academics starting at age 6 (the primary school drop out rate is just .2 percent), Japan’s students have scoring well down to a science. Ranking No. 2 in Pearson Education ’s annual global educational performance report and placing fourth in reading and seventh in math in the influential Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey — which tests 15-year-old students worldwide in order to compare countries’ education systems — the Pacific Ocean island nation is serious about learning.  And it’s paid off: The literacy rate of their 127 million citizens is 99 percent. 

A photo posted by Ten Hyakutake (@realtensuke) on Nov 7, 2015 at 7:33am PST

Read More: 7 Groups Working to Educate the World

South Korea

Standardized tests have met their match in South Korea. Students in the 49-million-person republic — who are randomly assigned to private and public high schools — routinely score at the top of academic assessments: Most recently No. 1 overall, and in “Educational Attainment,” in Pearson Education ’s annual global educational performance report as well as fifth in both reading and math on the PISA survey. Long hours of study have helped the students become so successful, reports the BBC , noting that, “South Korean parents spend thousands … a year on after-school tuition,” for their kids’ evening cram sessions — every day.

A photo posted by World Travel Photo Diary (@worldtravelphotodiary) on Jul 28, 2016 at 10:59pm PDT

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Who knew that lots of breaks can help create academic aces? The Finns. The Northern European nation mandates that their kids — who don’t begin studies until age 7 — have 15-minute outdoor free-play sessions for every hour of their five-hour school day. And though grades aren’t given until fourth grade (and schools don’t require any standardized tests until senior year), their students’ achievement is undoubted. Consistently high PISA survey scorers, Finland’s latest rank is sixth in reading and 12 in math. And it’s not just a few smarties who secure the lead. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the difference between the weakest and strongest students in Finland is the smallest in the world.

A photo posted by Finland (@thisisfinland) on Jun 5, 2015 at 5:36am PDT

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Norway, rated highest in human development by the U.N., prioritizes education for their 5.1 million residents. The Nordic nation spends 6.6% of their GDP on education (nearly 1.5% less than the U.S. does) and keeps their student-teacher ratio below 9:1. Relying on a national curriculum that teachers interpret for their pupils — who aren’t defined by grade level — arts and crafts are part of the program, as well as food and health, music, and physical education. And their system is clearly working. A hundred percent of Norway’s school-age population is enrolled in school, 97 percent have some secondary education, and they’ve closed the gender gap in education to boot!

A photo posted by Daniel Taipale (@dansmoe) on Jul 28, 2016 at 11:36pm PDT

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Described as an “exam-oriented” system, education in this island city-state of nearly 5.7 million in Southeast Asia strives to teach children problem solving . They’ve certainly figured out how to conquer tests. Ranking No. 1 in Pearson Education ’s global educational report for “Cognitive Skills” and No. 3 overall, Singapore placed high on the PISA test too: No. 3 in reading and No. 2 in math. Teachers study-up in Singapore as well, participating in professional development throughout their careers.

A photo posted by YourSingapore (@visit_singapore) on Jul 5, 2016 at 2:32am PDT

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Netherlands

Geen Nederlands spreken? No problem. Even non-Dutch speaking students get the help they need to succeed in the Netherlands’ schools. The country of 17 million — ranked No. 8 in Pearson Education’s ratings and No. 10 in the PISA survey — provides teaching in languages other than Dutch for students in grades 1 to 4 to foster learning in all subjects. And to keep their 94% graduation rate at the secondary level, they also funnel extra funding to poorer and ethnic minority students. According to UNESCO , the primary schools with the highest proportion of disadvantaged students have, on average, about 58 percent more teachers and support staff.

A photo posted by @myvisualoflife on Jul 29, 2016 at 7:00am PDT

Read More: 9 Facts to Know About Education Around the World

Dissatisfied with their scores on the 2000 PISA tests, the European country — ranked 7 in the U.N.’s Education Index — took action. They reformed their education policy, including, “the adoption of national standards and increased support for disadvantaged students,” per UNESCO , and things turned around for their 82 million population. Today in the PISA rankings, Germany sits at No. 20 in Reading, a two-spot improvement, and is No. 16 in math, a five-spot jump.

A photo posted by GERMANY | TAG #IN_GERMANY 🇩🇪 (@in_germany) on Jul 25, 2016 at 12:03pm PDT

It’s not the luck of the Irish that’s earned the European nation sixth place in the U.N.’s Education Index . The country of 4.7 million invests in the education of their citizens, spending 6.2 percent of their GDP on education (more than double what Singapore doles out). This prioritization has helped Ireland give nearly 80 percent of citizens at least some secondary education and graduate 98 percent from secondary level schools.

A photo posted by National Geographic Travel (@natgeotravel) on Jul 29, 2016 at 5:22am PDT

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The United Kingdom

Of Britons age 25 and older, 99.9 percent have had secondary education in the U.K. (population 64 million). And although England is currently strategizing about how to accommodate the extra 750,000 students that their Department of Education estimates they’ll have in their schools by 2025, the nation remains an impressive No. 6 overall in Pearson Education ’s performance report and second only to South Korea in “Educational Attainment.” Cheers to that!

A photo posted by Photos Of Britain 🇬🇧 (@photosofbritain) on Jul 29, 2016 at 1:39am PDT

Defeat Poverty

10 Best Countries for Education Around The World

July 29, 2016

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Best Education System in the World: Top 20 Countries

• Updated on  
• Nov 18, 2022

The pursuit of the greatest education has always been a top priority for human civilization. Education is what distinguishes us from one another, liberates us from the shambles, and empowers us to act for the betterment of society. Even though a number of poets , writers, and intellectuals have written at length praising the importance of education but with the progression in modern society, its need has become more imperative. Countries all around the globe have begun to provide high-quality education in a variety of fields to students from all over the world, in addition to their own people. But have you ever considered whether nations offer an education system that can meet your demands and help you launch a career in your chosen field? In this blog, we will discuss some of the top countries having the best education system in the world.

This Blog Includes:

World education rankings list by country: top 20 countries with best education system in the world, countries with best education system in the world 2022, united states, united kingdom, netherlands, france , sweden , top universities in the world.

Although the world education rankings list by country is based on the various parameters indicated above, we’ll concentrate on the two most important ones:

• One of the best indices that international investors can use to assess economic, institutional, and financial aspects is the Global Opportunity Index.
• The Quality Index provides information on a nation’s physical safety, economic security, employment opportunities, and other factors.

When it comes to pursuing higher education from abroad, every country has its own set of pros and cons. While one country may score well on the infrastructure, the other may offer degree programs that are new and unique. For instance, If we take into consideration parameters like quality of living, teacher-student ratio, and availability of public resources for studies, the list would include the countries that have shaped modern education like Finland, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Russia, etc. Thus, it can be slightly difficult to decide which country offers high-quality education. Based on the parameters like the types of programs offered, interdisciplinarity in programs, placements, university rankings, and the number of enrolled international students, we have curated a list of countries that are known for having the best education system. Moreover Certlibrary also helps to find the best education environment in the world.

Did you know: In South Korea, high school students have double shifts every day that makes for around 12-13 hours at school.

A pioneer in modern education, the US is known for providing high-quality education delivered by world-renowned faculty. The country boasts of having more Nobel Laureates than any other country and hosting more than a million international students every year, as per the world education rankings list by country. Computer Science , Engineering , Business Management , Law , and Arts are some of the most popular courses among international students in the US. Further, the emphasis placed on research and development in the USA education system has led universities to offer an array of research-oriented degree programs especially STEM Courses at graduate, postgraduate, and doctorate levels thus making it the most preferred destination for education. Being the home for universities like Harvard University, University of Oxford , Yale Universit y , and MIT , the US undoubtedly has the best education system in the world. 

Did you know: Oral exams held in UK universities and colleges are rigorous and intensive tests that were held over three days.

Known for its diverse culture, low tuition fees, and living costs, Canada has emerged as a preferred study destination for a large number of students. The Canadian universities have been consistently ranked among the top educational institutions in the world by QS and Times for offering an array of degrees and short-term courses across various disciplines. With the University of Toronto and Queen’s University among the premier institutions of the country, the Canadian education system has etched its name in some of the best in the world. It provides students with a platform to specialize in courses in the fields of Engineering, Commerce, and the Arts.

Did you know: Finnish students only have to sit for a centralized exam at the age of 16!

For non-English speakers, Germany is the preferred destination for higher studies. Home to leading automobile brands like Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Germany has established its name in the automobile industry. Its institutions are renowned for offering intensive courses in Engineering, Design, MBBS in Germany , etc.  A large number of scholarships are also available for international students which attract students from worldwide, making Germany one of the countries with the best education system in the world. 

Did you know: Chinese students are given the most homework in the world, followed by Russians and Singaporeans!

The world’s 6 largest country by area, Australia, is known for its high-quality education and excellent career opportunities. Offering diverse courses in fields like Engineering, Administration, Architecture, Media, Business, Communication and Art, Australia is a popular destination to study abroad . With 7 Australian universities in the top 100 list of QS 2022 rankings, the Australian education system can be counted among the best in the world. Australian universities also have research centres in a number of countries. 

Having recorded a whopping 99% literacy rate, Denmark is undeniably a top mention while finding the best education system in the world. Free education is offered in Denmark from primary to higher education. Further, the country’s government has ensured that education is compulsory for students up to 16 years of age which is one of the unique features adopted amongst the other education system in the world. It is one of the top countries to study abroad as well and attracts scores of international students from around the world with dreams to fulfil their higher studies at the world-renowned Denmark universities imparting quality education and globally recognized and acclaimed degrees.

Did you know: Japanese schools teach subjects like moral education called dotoku !

Finland has also been internationally lauded for formulating the best education system in the world because the country has meticulously designed an educational apparatus that is at par with other countries across the globe. The Finland Education System emphasizes providing access to free education from primary to higher education and has been consistently restructured to add newer and better changes. Its quintessential focus is to impart students with incremental life skills and when it comes to higher studies, you can choose from the traditional research-based universities offering theoretical programs or Universities of Applied Science providing industry-based and training programs!

Did you know: The City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, is the largest school in the world in terms of a number of students, with more than 32,000 students.

There is a reason why the Dutch education system is known and appreciated worldwide. Because of its excellent quality and top-ranked world-class universities, the Dutch education system is one of the best education systems in the world. These institutions are known worldwide for their well-designed, cutting-edge curriculum and facilities. The teaching approach emphasizes cooperation, making it easier for international students in the Netherlands to meet both Dutch and other international students. Having said that, solid personal relationships between professors and students are highly valued at Dutch universities. Dutch universities include many practical elements in their degree programs too. It is the first non-English speaking country to develop courses in English to attract overseas students. Modern teaching approaches are employed and as the government has subsidized higher education, the cost of studying is cheap as compared to other European countries. 

Did you know: All schools in Iran have single-sex schools!

Having the highest enrollment rate of early childhood made France have a handsome spot on the list of top countries with the best education systems in the world. It’s a long-held belief that the French education system is one of the best in the world. It is not only the greatest but also one of the most successful educational systems in the world. France was a pioneer in revolutionizing its educational system. The French education system now is divided into three stages: elementary education, secondary education, and higher education. The majority of primary and secondary schools in France , as well as a considerable number of colleges, are public institutions with highly centralized administrations. Having said that, education is one of the most basic rights in France which has been made compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. Although, the vast majority of children begin school long before the minimal age, frequently as early as two years old, and more than half of 18-21 year age groups in France are still enrolled in full-time education or pursuing a vocational training program.

Did you know: In Germany, kindergarten education is optional for preschoolers!

Like its other Nordic sister countries like Finland, Norway, and Denmark, Sweden has really performed well to keep pace and be one of the top 20 countries with the best education systems in the world. If you’re wondering how a tiny little nation like Sweden can have a world-class education system, it’s because they believe in academic achievement, learning, and quality education over grades. They place a high value on developing team players. Students are equipped for a successful career in this manner. Sweden has a reputation for being forward-thinking. Researchers at Swedish universities have always contributed to the emergence of the greatest inventions like Bluetooth, Pacemakers, Skype, and Spotify. The international students studying in Sweden come from different parts of the world just to have a taste of its education system and be a part of the Swedish education revolution.

Did you know: France has the shortest school year from August to June and also the longest school day.

Other than the above-mentioned countries with best education system in the world, you must also check out the following:

Listed below are the top universities in the world :

Countries having the hardest and most difficult education systems in the world are as follows: South Korea Japan Singapore Hong Kong Finland

According to a survey done by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Chinese kids are the smartest in the world. According to the OECD’s triennial PISA – Program for International Student Assessment – Chinese children surpass their classmates in science, arithmetic, and reading, regardless of socioeconomic background.

Countries that have the leading healthcare systems in the world are as follows: Taiwan South Korea France Japan Denmark

The Indian education system has the toughest Mathematics curriculum in the entire world. The most difficult exam in the world is the IIT JEE, which is held in India. It is made up of Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Hopefully, with this blog, you are now aware of the countries with the best education system. If you want to pursue higher studies in these countries but are not sure about how to get started with it then the experts at Leverage Edu will assist you in every stage of the admission process. 

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Press release

Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2020

Fewer than 10% of countries have laws that help ensure full inclusion in education, according to UNESCO’s 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report: Inclusion and education – All means all.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of key factors for exclusion of learners in education systems worldwide including background, identity and ability (i.e. gender, age, location, poverty, disability, ethnicity, indigeneity, language, religion, migration or displacement status, sexual orientation or gender identity expression, incarceration, beliefs and attitudes). It identifies an exacerbation of exclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic and estimates that about 40% of low and lower-middle-income countries have not supported disadvantaged learners during temporary school shutdown. The 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report urges countries to focus on those left behind as schools reopen so as to foster more resilient and equal societies.

Persistence of exclusion: This year’s report is the fourth annual UNESCO GEM Report to monitor progress across 209 countries in achieving the education targets adopted by UN Member States in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It notes that 258 million children and youth were entirely excluded from education, with poverty as the main obstacle to access. In low- and middle-income countries, adolescents from the richest 20% of all households were three times as likely to complete lower secondary school as were as those from the poorest homes. Among those who did complete lower secondary education, students from the richest households were twice as likely to have basic reading and mathematics skills as those from the poorest households. Despite the proclaimed target of universal upper secondary completion by 2030, hardly any poor rural young women complete secondary school in at least 20 countries, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

Also according to the report, 10-year old students in middle and high-income countries who were taught in a language other than their mother tongue typically scored 34% below native speakers in reading tests. In ten low- and middle-income countries, children with disabilities were found to be 19% less likely to achieve minimum proficiency in reading than those without disabilities. In the United States, for example, LGBTI students were almost three times more likely to say that they had stayed home from school because of feeling unsafe.

Inequitable foundations: Alongside today’s publication, UNESCO GEM Report team launched a new website, PEER, with information on laws and policies concerning inclusion in education for every country in the world. PEER shows that many countries still practice education segregation, which reinforces stereotyping, discrimination and alienation. Laws in a quarter of all countries require children with disabilities to be educated in separate settings, rising to over 40% in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Asia.

Blatant exclusion: Two countries in Africa still ban pregnant girls from school, 117 allowed child marriages, while 20 had yet to ratify the Convention 138 of the International Labour Organization which bans child labour. In several central and eastern European countries, Roma children were segregated in mainstream schools. In Asia, displaced people, such as the Rohingya were taught in parallel education systems. In OECD countries, more than two-thirds of students from immigrant backgrounds attended schools where they made up at least 50% of the student population, which reduced their chance of academic success.

Parents’ discriminatory beliefs were found to form one barrier to inclusion: Some 15% of parents in Germany and 59% in Hong Kong, China, feared that children with disabilities disturbed others’ learning. Parents with vulnerable children also wished to send them to schools that ensure their well-being and respond to their needs. In Queensland, Australia, 37% of students in special schools had moved away from mainstream establishments.

The Report shows that education systems often fail to take learners’ special needs into account. Just 41 countries worldwide officially recognized sign language and, globally, schools were more eager to get internet access than to cater for learners with disabilities. Some 335 million girls attended schools that did not provide them with the water, sanitation and hygiene services they required to continue attending class during menstruation.

Alienating learners: When learners are inadequately represented in curricula and textbooks they can feel alienated. Girls and women only made up 44% of references in secondary school English-language textbooks in Malaysia and Indonesia, 37% in Bangladesh and 24% in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. The curricula of 23 out of 49 European countries do not address issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.

Teachers need and want training on inclusion, which fewer than 1 in 10 primary school teachers in ten Francophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa said they had received. A quarter of teachers across 48 countries reported they wanted more training on teaching students with special needs.

Chronic lack of quality data on those left behind: Almost half of low- and middle-income countries do not collect enough education data about children with disabilities. Household surveys are key for breaking education data down by individual characteristics. But 41% of countries – home to 13% of the world’s population – did not conduct surveys or make available data from such surveys. Figures on learning are mostly taken from school, failing to take into account those not attending.

Signs of progress towards inclusion: The Report and its PEER website note that many countries were using positive, innovative approaches to transition towards inclusion. Many were setting up resource centres for multiple schools and enabling mainstream establishments to accommodate children from special schools, as was the case in Malawi, Cuba and Ukraine. The Gambia, New Zealand and Samoa were using itinerant teachers to reach underserved populations.

Many countries were also seen to go out of their way to accommodate different learners’ needs: Odisha state in India, for example, used 21 tribal languages in its classrooms, Kenya adjusted its curriculum to the nomadic calendar and, in Australia, the curricula of 19% of students were adjusted by teachers so that their expected outcomes could match students’ needs.

The report includes material for a digital campaign, All means All, which promotes a set of key recommendations for the next ten years.

Related items

• Country page: Pakistan
• UNESCO Office in Islamabad
• SDG: SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals .

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Other recent press releases

How the world’s best-performing school systems come out on top

Education reform is top of the agenda of almost every country in the world. Yet despite massive increases in spending (last year, the world’s governments spent $2 trillion on education) and ambitious attempts at reform, the performance of many school systems has barely improved in decades. This is all the more surprising because there are wide variations in the quality of education. For instance, in international assessments, less than one percent of African and Middle Eastern children perform at or above the Singaporean average. Nor is this solely the result of the level of investment. Singapore, one of the world’s top performers, spends less on primary education than do 27 of the 30 countries in the OECD. 1 1. Spending per student in primary education, relative to GDP per capita.

Changing what happens in the hearts and minds of millions of children—the main charge of any school system—is no simple task. That some do so successfully while others do not is indisputable. So why is it that some school systems consistently perform better and improve faster than others?

There are many different ways to improve a school system, and the complexity of this task and the uncertainty about outcomes is rightly reflected in the international debate about how this should best be done. To find out why some schools succeed where others do not, we studied 25 of the world’s school systems, including 10 of the top performers. We examined what these high-performing school systems have in common and what tools they use to improve student outcomes.

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The experiences of these top school systems suggest that three things matter most: 1) getting the right people to become teachers, 2) developing them into effective instructors, and 3) ensuring that the system is able to deliver the best possible instruction for every child.

These systems demonstrate that the best practices for achieving these three things work irrespective of the culture in which they are applied. They demonstrate that substantial improvement in outcomes is possible in a short period of time and that applying these best practices universally could have enormous impact in improving failing school systems, wherever they might be located.

Download the full report on which this article is based, How the world’s best-performing school systems come out on top in English (PDF–9.7MB), French (PDF–3.5MB), or Spanish  (PDF–1.1MB).

Michael Barber is an alumnus of McKinsey’s London office, and Mona Mourshed is a director in the Washington, DC, office.

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• 10 Countries With The Best Education Systems

• The first Pisa Worldwide Ranking took place in 2000
• Pisa exams in reading, math, and science take place every three years in over 70 countries
• Pisa exams have no minimum or maximum. They are scaled which results in most countries scoring 500 points and a deviation of about 100 points.

Pisa, the Programme for International Student Assessment, has released its 2018 Worldwide Ranking list. The highly influential rankings allow countries to compare their performance in math, reading, and science to education systems around the world. More than 470,000 15-year olds from over 70 countries write the standardized tests administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) . The results are not holistic, however, and not all of the data is reported. Reading scores for Spain , for instance, were omitted after the OECD detected anomalies in response times. Regions like Taiwan and Hong Kong are ranked individually by Pisa, thus altering the placement of independent countries.  

On this list, we’ve used the Pisa scores as well as referencing GDP data from the World Bank and the United Nations . Taiwan , Hong Kong , and Macao are included under the China ranking, and the percentage of the population who go on to pursue higher education is also a factor. 

So how did the United States do? According to the Pisa rankings, the US ranked 25th overall, coming in 37th in mathematics, 18th in science, and just missing the top 10 in reading at 13th place. Spending about 4.9% of its GDP on education puts the US on par with Ireland and Poland , and above China , Singapore , and Japan , all of whom made it to our list. Read on to discover which countries offer the best education systems.

Even without the inclusion of Taiwan , Hong Kong , and Macau , China dominated the Pisa tests in 2018, coming in first in all three subjects of reading, science, and mathematics. With these additions, China is an educational powerhouse. Their impressive results come after a decade of modifications to the education system while maintaining an overall spend of about 4% of the GDP. The changes are clearly having a positive impact, not only on Pisa scores but also at the post secondary level where 27% of those aged 25-34 have graduated college or above.

2.  Singapore

Despite being the youngest and smallest country on this list, Singapore is a world leader in education. With a modest 3.3% expenditure on education, Singapore scores an impressive second place in all three subject areas. What’s even more impressive, students are taught not only in English, the official language of Singapore, but also in at least two additional languages, including Chinese, Malay, or Tamil . It’s little wonder that 54% of the population goes on to earn a post-secondary diploma.

3.  Estonia

With 41% of its population holding post-secondary certification, and 5.5% of its GDP dedicated to education, Estonia has consistently been one of the highest achieving European nations on the Pisa rankings since it joined the EU in 2005. Reading and science are particularly strong, with exam results in the top five, while math scores are ranked at 8th place.

Japan boasts a well educated population, with 48% having completed the tertiary level. Despite a relatively low 3.6% government expenditure on education, its high tech economy greatly values secondary and post-secondary achievement as a means of socioeconomic mobility. Unsurprisingly, Japanese students consistently rank among the world’s top five countries for reading, science, and math.

5.  South Korea

Holding a consistent place on the Pisa rankings, with 7th place in math and sciences in 2018, and 9th in reading, South Korea has one of the most educated labour forces worldwide. Over 45% of the population has graduated high school and completed tertiary education. Much of the country’s rapid economic growth and high tech boom is rooted in a societal emphasis on schooling, including 5.1% of government spending dedicated to education.

With 54% of its population having completed post secondary education, which ties it with Russia for the top spot, Canada is the only North American country to make it on this list. Devoting 5.5% of its GDP to education has certainly paid off, with Canada earning top ten scores in reading, math, and sciences well above its neighbors to the south in the US (25th place) and Mexico (56th place).

7.  Finland

Finland has held a place in the top ten Pisa rankings for as long as the OECD has been compiling the data. Famous for its no homework and no mandatory testing policies, this Scandinavian nation tops the government spending list at 6.8% with an impressive 42% of the population going on to earn post secondary certification.  While its Pisa scores in math have dropped to 16th place in 2018, strong results in reading (7th) and science (6th) keep Finland on the list of countries with the best education systems.

Like nearby Estonia , this former Soviet satellite has seen a shift in government spending since joining the EU in 2004. Today Poland allocates 4.9% of the GDP toward education, bringing it on par with Ireland and above other countries on this list such as China and Japan . Poland earned the 10th place spot on the combined Pisa exams, and while 27% of the population holds college level diplomas, that number jumps to 43% when looking at 25-34 year olds.

9.  Ireland

Despite a much lower GDP than its neighbor, the UK , Ireland dedicates 4.9% of it towards education. The return on this investment is evident in rapid gains in the PISA rankings, with Ireland ranking above the UK in overall scores. It’s unsurpising that this highly literate population, 41% of whom have a post-secondary diploma, continues to improve its education system, including the introduction of Gaelscoils , state-funded language immersion schools that teach in the traditional Irish language.  

10. Slovenia

Nestled between Italy , Austria , and Croatia , Slovenia outpaces all of its neighbours in reading, math, and science. Slovenians place a high emphasis on the value of education, dedicating not only 5.7% of its GDP to schooling, but also offering tuition-free undergraduate degrees at state universities. As a result of this no-tuition policy, 38% of 25-34 year olds have a post secondary diploma, with 29% of the overall population completing post-high school studies.

Countries With The Best Education Systems

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World University Rankings 2024

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 include 1,906 universities across 108 countries and regions.

The table is based on our new WUR 3.0 methodology , which includes 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.

This year’s ranking analysed more than 134 million citations across 16.5 million research publications and included survey responses from 68,402 scholars globally. Overall, we collected 411,789 datapoints from more than 2,673 institutions that submitted data.

Trusted worldwide by students, teachers, governments and industry experts, the 2024 league table reveals how the global higher education landscape is shifting.

View the World University Rankings 2024 methodology

The University of Oxford tops the ranking for the eighth year in a row, but others in the top five have seen shifts in their ranks. Stanford University moves up to second place, pushing Harvard University down to fourth.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) climbs up two places to third this year. The University of Cambridge slips to fifth place, after being in joint third place last year.

The highest new entry is Italy’s Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, ranked in the 301-350 bracket. However, the majority of the institutions joining the ranking for the first time this year are in Asia.

The US is the most-represented country overall, with 169 institutions, and also the most-represented in the top 200 (56). With 91 institutions, India is now the fourth most-represented nation, overtaking China (86).

Four countries enter the ranking for the first time – all of them in Europe. The addition of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Armenia is in contrast to last year’s trend when all the new entrants were from Africa.

Stanford University leads the teaching pillar, while the universities of Oxford and Cambridge come top for research environment. The research quality pillar, which is the newly renamed citations pillar, sees MIT in first place.

The University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates scores highest in international outlook, while 28 institutions receive a top score of 100 for the industry pillar.

In addition to the 1,904 ranked institutions, a further 769 universities are listed with “reporter” status, meaning that they provided data but did not meet our eligibility criteria to receive a rank, and agreed to be displayed as a reporter in the final table.

Read our analysis of the World University Rankings 2024 results

Download a copy of the World University Rankings 2024 digital report

To raise your university’s global profile with Times Higher Education , contact [email protected]

To unlock the data behind THE’s rankings and access a range of analytical and benchmarking tools, click here

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The World Bank Group is the largest financier of education in the developing world, working in 94 countries and committed to helping them reach SDG4: access to inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

Education is a human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. It delivers large, consistent returns in terms of income, and is the most important factor to ensure equity and inclusion.

For individuals, education promotes employment, earnings, health, and poverty reduction. Globally, there is a  9% increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling . For societies, it drives long-term economic growth, spurs innovation, strengthens institutions, and fosters social cohesion.  Education is further a powerful catalyst to climate action through widespread behavior change and skilling for green transitions.

Developing countries have made tremendous progress in getting children into the classroom and more children worldwide are now in school. But learning is not guaranteed, as the  2018 World Development Report  (WDR) stressed.

Making smart and effective investments in people’s education is critical for developing the human capital that will end extreme poverty. At the core of this strategy is the need to tackle the learning crisis, put an end to  Learning Poverty , and help youth acquire the advanced cognitive, socioemotional, technical and digital skills they need to succeed in today’s world. 

In low- and middle-income countries, the share of children living in  Learning Poverty  (that is, the proportion of 10-year-old children that are unable to read and understand a short age-appropriate text) increased from 57% before the pandemic to an estimated  70%  in 2022.

However, learning is in crisis. More than 70 million more people were pushed into poverty during the COVID pandemic, a billion children lost a year of school , and three years later the learning losses suffered have not been recouped .  If a child cannot read with comprehension by age 10, they are unlikely to become fluent readers. They will fail to thrive later in school and will be unable to power their careers and economies once they leave school.

The effects of the pandemic are expected to be long-lasting. Analysis has already revealed deep losses, with international reading scores declining from 2016 to 2021 by more than a year of schooling.  These losses may translate to a 0.68 percentage point in global GDP growth.  The staggering effects of school closures reach beyond learning. This generation of children could lose a combined total of  US$21 trillion in lifetime earnings  in present value or the equivalent of 17% of today’s global GDP – a sharp rise from the 2021 estimate of a US$17 trillion loss. 

Action is urgently needed now – business as usual will not suffice to heal the scars of the pandemic and will not accelerate progress enough to meet the ambitions of SDG 4. We are urging governments to implement ambitious and aggressive Learning Acceleration Programs to get children back to school, recover lost learning, and advance progress by building better, more equitable and resilient education systems.

Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024

The World Bank’s global education strategy is centered on ensuring learning happens – for everyone, everywhere. Our vision is to ensure that everyone can achieve her or his full potential with access to a quality education and lifelong learning. To reach this, we are helping countries build foundational skills like literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills – the building blocks for all other learning. From early childhood to tertiary education and beyond – we help children and youth acquire the skills they need to thrive in school, the labor market and throughout their lives.

Investing in the world’s most precious resource – people – is paramount to ending poverty on a livable planet.  Our experience across more than 100 countries bears out this robust connection between human capital, quality of life, and economic growth: when countries strategically invest in people and the systems designed to protect and build human capital at scale, they unlock the wealth of nations and the potential of everyone.

Building on this, the World Bank supports resilient, equitable, and inclusive education systems that ensure learning happens for everyone. We do this by generating and disseminating evidence, ensuring alignment with policymaking processes, and bridging the gap between research and practice.

The World Bank is the largest source of external financing for education in developing countries, with a portfolio of about $26 billion in 94 countries including IBRD, IDA and Recipient-Executed Trust Funds. IDA operations comprise 62% of the education portfolio.

The investment in FCV settings has increased dramatically and now accounts for 26% of our portfolio.

World Bank projects reach at least 425 million students -one-third of students in low- and middle-income countries.

The World Bank’s Approach to Education

Five interrelated pillars of a well-functioning education system underpin the World Bank’s education policy approach:

• Learners are prepared and motivated to learn;
• Teachers are prepared, skilled, and motivated to facilitate learning and skills acquisition;
• Learning resources (including education technology) are available, relevant, and used to improve teaching and learning;
• Schools are safe and inclusive; and
• Education Systems are well-managed, with good implementation capacity and adequate financing.

The Bank is already helping governments design and implement cost-effective programs and tools to build these pillars.

Our Principles:

• We pursue systemic reform supported by political commitment to learning for all children. 
• We focus on equity and inclusion through a progressive path toward achieving universal access to quality education, including children and young adults in fragile or conflict affected areas , those in marginalized and rural communities,  girls and women , displaced populations,  students with disabilities , and other vulnerable groups.
• We focus on results and use evidence to keep improving policy by using metrics to guide improvements.   
• We want to ensure financial commitment commensurate with what is needed to provide basic services to all. 
• We invest wisely in technology so that education systems embrace and learn to harness technology to support their learning objectives.   

Laying the groundwork for the future

Country challenges vary, but there is a menu of options to build forward better, more resilient, and equitable education systems.

Countries are facing an education crisis that requires a two-pronged approach: first, supporting actions to recover lost time through remedial and accelerated learning; and, second, building on these investments for a more equitable, resilient, and effective system.

Recovering from the learning crisis must be a political priority, backed with adequate financing and the resolve to implement needed reforms.  Domestic financing for education over the last two years has not kept pace with the need to recover and accelerate learning. Across low- and lower-middle-income countries, the  average share of education in government budgets fell during the pandemic , and in 2022 it remained below 2019 levels.

The best chance for a better future is to invest in education and make sure each dollar is put toward improving learning.  In a time of fiscal pressure, protecting spending that yields long-run gains – like spending on education – will maximize impact.  We still need more and better funding for education.  Closing the learning gap will require increasing the level, efficiency, and equity of education spending—spending smarter is an imperative.

• Education technology  can be a powerful tool to implement these actions by supporting teachers, children, principals, and parents; expanding accessible digital learning platforms, including radio/ TV / Online learning resources; and using data to identify and help at-risk children, personalize learning, and improve service delivery.

Looking ahead

We must seize this opportunity  to reimagine education in bold ways. Together, we can build forward better more equitable, effective, and resilient education systems for the world’s children and youth.

Accelerating Improvements

Supporting countries in establishing time-bound learning targets and a focused education investment plan, outlining actions and investments geared to achieve these goals.

Launched in 2020, the  Accelerator Program  works with a set of countries to channel investments in education and to learn from each other. The program coordinates efforts across partners to ensure that the countries in the program show improvements in foundational skills at scale over the next three to five years. These investment plans build on the collective work of multiple partners, and leverage the latest evidence on what works, and how best to plan for implementation.  Countries such as Brazil (the state of Ceará) and Kenya have achieved dramatic reductions in learning poverty over the past decade at scale, providing useful lessons, even as they seek to build on their successes and address remaining and new challenges.  

Universalizing Foundational Literacy

Readying children for the future by supporting acquisition of foundational skills – which are the gateway to other skills and subjects.

The  Literacy Policy Package (LPP)   consists of interventions focused specifically on promoting acquisition of reading proficiency in primary school. These include assuring political and technical commitment to making all children literate; ensuring effective literacy instruction by supporting teachers; providing quality, age-appropriate books; teaching children first in the language they speak and understand best; and fostering children’s oral language abilities and love of books and reading.

Advancing skills through TVET and Tertiary

Ensuring that individuals have access to quality education and training opportunities and supporting links to employment.

Tertiary education and skills systems are a driver of major development agendas, including human capital, climate change, youth and women’s empowerment, and jobs and economic transformation. A comprehensive skill set to succeed in the 21st century labor market consists of foundational and higher order skills, socio-emotional skills, specialized skills, and digital skills. Yet most countries continue to struggle in delivering on the promise of skills development. 

The World Bank is supporting countries through efforts that address key challenges including improving access and completion, adaptability, quality, relevance, and efficiency of skills development programs. Our approach is via multiple channels including projects, global goods, as well as the Tertiary Education and Skills Program . Our recent reports including Building Better Formal TVET Systems and STEERing Tertiary Education provide a way forward for how to improve these critical systems.

Addressing Climate Change

Mainstreaming climate education and investing in green skills, research and innovation, and green infrastructure to spur climate action and foster better preparedness and resilience to climate shocks.

Our approach recognizes that education is critical for achieving effective, sustained climate action. At the same time, climate change is adversely impacting education outcomes. Investments in education can play a huge role in building climate resilience and advancing climate mitigation and adaptation. Climate change education gives young people greater awareness of climate risks and more access to tools and solutions for addressing these risks and managing related shocks. Technical and vocational education and training can also accelerate a green economic transformation by fostering green skills and innovation. Greening education infrastructure can help mitigate the impact of heat, pollution, and extreme weather on learning, while helping address climate change. 

Examples of this work are projects in Nigeria (life skills training for adolescent girls), Vietnam (fostering relevant scientific research) , and Bangladesh (constructing and retrofitting schools to serve as cyclone shelters).

Strengthening Measurement Systems

Enabling countries to gather and evaluate information on learning and its drivers more efficiently and effectively.

The World Bank supports initiatives to help countries effectively build and strengthen their measurement systems to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. Examples of this work include:

(1) The  Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD) : This tool offers a strong basis for identifying priorities for investment and policy reforms that are suited to each country context by focusing on the three dimensions of practices, policies, and politics.

• Highlights gaps between what the evidence suggests is effective in promoting learning and what is happening in practice in each system; and
• Allows governments to track progress as they act to close the gaps.

The GEPD has been implemented in 13 education systems already – Peru, Rwanda, Jordan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sierra Leone, Niger, Gabon, Jordan and Chad – with more expected by the end of 2024.

(2)  Learning Assessment Platform (LeAP) : LeAP is a one-stop shop for knowledge, capacity-building tools, support for policy dialogue, and technical staff expertise to support student achievement measurement and national assessments for better learning.

Supporting Successful Teachers

Helping systems develop the right selection, incentives, and support to the professional development of teachers.

Currently, the World Bank Education Global Practice has over 160 active projects supporting over 18 million teachers worldwide, about a third of the teacher population in low- and middle-income countries. In 12 countries alone, these projects cover 16 million teachers, including all primary school teachers in Ethiopia and Turkey, and over 80% in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

A World Bank-developed classroom observation tool, Teach, was designed to capture the quality of teaching in low- and middle-income countries. It is now 3.6 million students.

While Teach helps identify patterns in teacher performance, Coach leverages these insights to support teachers to improve their teaching practice through hands-on in-service teacher professional development (TPD).

Our recent report on Making Teacher Policy Work proposes a practical framework to uncover the black box of effective teacher policy and discusses the factors that enable their scalability and sustainability.

 Supporting Education Finance Systems

Strengthening country financing systems to mobilize resources for education and make better use of their investments in education.

Our approach is to bring together multi-sectoral expertise to engage with ministries of education and finance and other stakeholders to develop and implement effective and efficient public financial management systems; build capacity to monitor and evaluate education spending, identify financing bottlenecks, and develop interventions to strengthen financing systems; build the evidence base on global spending patterns and the magnitude and causes of spending inefficiencies; and develop diagnostic tools as public goods to support country efforts.

Working in Fragile, Conflict, and Violent (FCV) Contexts

The massive and growing global challenge of having so many children living in conflict and violent situations requires a response at the same scale and scope. Our education engagement in the Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) context, which stands at US$5.35 billion, has grown rapidly in recent years, reflecting the ever-increasing importance of the FCV agenda in education. Indeed, these projects now account for more than 25% of the World Bank education portfolio.

Education is crucial to minimizing the effects of fragility and displacement on the welfare of youth and children in the short-term and preventing the emergence of violent conflict in the long-term. 

Support to Countries Throughout the Education Cycle

Our support to countries covers the entire learning cycle, to help shape resilient, equitable, and inclusive education systems that ensure learning happens for everyone. 

The ongoing  Supporting  Egypt  Education Reform project , 2018-2025, supports transformational reforms of the Egyptian education system, by improving teaching and learning conditions in public schools. The World Bank has invested $500 million in the project focused on increasing access to quality kindergarten, enhancing the capacity of teachers and education leaders, developing a reliable student assessment system, and introducing the use of modern technology for teaching and learning. Specifically, the share of Egyptian 10-year-old students, who could read and comprehend at the global minimum proficiency level, increased to 45 percent in 2021.

In  Nigeria , the $75 million  Edo  Basic Education Sector and Skills Transformation (EdoBESST)  project, running from 2020-2024, is focused on improving teaching and learning in basic education. Under the project, which covers 97 percent of schools in the state, there is a strong focus on incorporating digital technologies for teachers. They were equipped with handheld tablets with structured lesson plans for their classes. Their coaches use classroom observation tools to provide individualized feedback. Teacher absence has reduced drastically because of the initiative. Over 16,000 teachers were trained through the project, and the introduction of technology has also benefited students.

Through the $235 million  School Sector Development Program  in  Nepal  (2017-2022), the number of children staying in school until Grade 12 nearly tripled, and the number of out-of-school children fell by almost seven percent. During the pandemic, innovative approaches were needed to continue education. Mobile phone penetration is high in the country. More than four in five households in Nepal have mobile phones. The project supported an educational service that made it possible for children with phones to connect to local radio that broadcast learning programs.

From 2017-2023, the $50 million  Strengthening of State Universities  in  Chile  project has made strides to improve quality and equity at state universities. The project helped reduce dropout: the third-year dropout rate fell by almost 10 percent from 2018-2022, keeping more students in school.

The World Bank’s first  Program-for-Results financing in education  was through a $202 million project in  Tanzania , that ran from 2013-2021. The project linked funding to results and aimed to improve education quality. It helped build capacity, and enhanced effectiveness and efficiency in the education sector. Through the project, learning outcomes significantly improved alongside an unprecedented expansion of access to education for children in Tanzania. From 2013-2019, an additional 1.8 million students enrolled in primary schools. In 2019, the average reading speed for Grade 2 students rose to 22.3 words per minute, up from 17.3 in 2017. The project laid the foundation for the ongoing $500 million  BOOST project , which supports over 12 million children to enroll early, develop strong foundational skills, and complete a quality education.

The $40 million  Cambodia  Secondary Education Improvement project , which ran from 2017-2022, focused on strengthening school-based management, upgrading teacher qualifications, and building classrooms in Cambodia, to improve learning outcomes, and reduce student dropout at the secondary school level. The project has directly benefited almost 70,000 students in 100 target schools, and approximately 2,000 teachers and 600 school administrators received training.

The World Bank is co-financing the $152.80 million  Yemen  Restoring Education and Learning Emergency project , running from 2020-2024, which is implemented through UNICEF, WFP, and Save the Children. It is helping to maintain access to basic education for many students, improve learning conditions in schools, and is working to strengthen overall education sector capacity. In the time of crisis, the project is supporting teacher payments and teacher training, school meals, school infrastructure development, and the distribution of learning materials and school supplies. To date, almost 600,000 students have benefited from these interventions.

The $87 million  Providing an Education of Quality in  Haiti  project supported approximately 380 schools in the Southern region of Haiti from 2016-2023. Despite a highly challenging context of political instability and recurrent natural disasters, the project successfully supported access to education for students. The project provided textbooks, fresh meals, and teacher training support to 70,000 students, 3,000 teachers, and 300 school directors. It gave tuition waivers to 35,000 students in 118 non-public schools. The project also repaired 19 national schools damaged by the 2021 earthquake, which gave 5,500 students safe access to their schools again.

In 2013, just 5% of the poorest households in  Uzbekistan  had children enrolled in preschools. Thanks to the  Improving Pre-Primary and General Secondary Education Project , by July 2019, around 100,000 children will have benefitted from the half-day program in 2,420 rural kindergartens, comprising around 49% of all preschool educational institutions, or over 90% of rural kindergartens in the country.

In addition to working closely with governments in our client countries, the World Bank also works at the global, regional, and local levels with a range of technical partners, including foundations, non-profit organizations, bilaterals, and other multilateral organizations. Some examples of our most recent global partnerships include:

UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:  Coalition for Foundational Learning

The World Bank is working closely with UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as the  Coalition for Foundational Learning  to advocate and provide technical support to ensure foundational learning.  The World Bank works with these partners to promote and endorse the  Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning , a global network of countries committed to halving the global share of children unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10 by 2030.

Australian Aid, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canada, Echida Giving, FCDO, German Cooperation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Conrad Hilton Foundation, LEGO Foundation, Porticus, USAID: Early Learning Partnership

The Early Learning Partnership (ELP) is a multi-donor trust fund, housed at the World Bank.  ELP leverages World Bank strengths—a global presence, access to policymakers and strong technical analysis—to improve early learning opportunities and outcomes for young children around the world.

We help World Bank teams and countries get the information they need to make the case to invest in Early Childhood Development (ECD), design effective policies and deliver impactful programs. At the country level, ELP grants provide teams with resources for early seed investments that can generate large financial commitments through World Bank finance and government resources. At the global level, ELP research and special initiatives work to fill knowledge gaps, build capacity and generate public goods.

UNESCO, UNICEF:  Learning Data Compact

UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank have joined forces to close the learning data gaps that still exist and that preclude many countries from monitoring the quality of their education systems and assessing if their students are learning. The three organizations have agreed to a  Learning Data Compact , a commitment to ensure that all countries, especially low-income countries, have at least one quality measure of learning by 2025, supporting coordinated efforts to strengthen national assessment systems.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS):   Learning Poverty Indicator

Aimed at measuring and urging attention to foundational literacy as a prerequisite to achieve SDG4, this partnership was launched in 2019 to help countries strengthen their learning assessment systems, better monitor what students are learning in internationally comparable ways and improve the breadth and quality of global data on education.

FCDO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:  EdTech Hub

Supported by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the EdTech Hub is aimed at improving the quality of ed-tech investments. The Hub launched a rapid response Helpdesk service to provide just-in-time advisory support to 70 low- and middle-income countries planning education technology and remote learning initiatives.

MasterCard Foundation

Our Tertiary Education and Skills  global program, launched with support from the Mastercard Foundation, aims to prepare youth and adults for the future of work and society by improving access to relevant, quality, equitable reskilling and post-secondary education opportunities.  It is designed to reframe, reform, and rebuild tertiary education and skills systems for the digital and green transformation.

Bridging the AI divide: Breaking down barriers to ensure women’s leadership and participation in the Fifth Industrial Revolution

Common challenges and tailored solutions: How policymakers are strengthening early learning systems across the world

Compulsory education boosts learning outcomes and climate action

Areas of focus.

Data & Measurement

Early Childhood Development

Financing Education

Foundational Learning

Fragile, Conflict & Violent Contexts

Girls’ Education

Inclusive Education

Skills Development

Technology (EdTech)  

Tertiary Education

Initiatives

• Show More +
• Tertiary Education and Skills Program
• Service Delivery Indicators
• Evoke: Transforming education to empower youth
• Global Education Policy Dashboard
• Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel
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Collapse and Recovery: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Eroded Human Capital and What to Do About It

BROCHURES & FACT SHEETS

Flyer: Education Factsheet - May 2024

Publication: Realizing Education's Promise: A World Bank Retrospective – August 2023

Flyer: Education and Climate Change - November 2022

Brochure: Learning Losses - October 2022

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Global Education Newsletter - April 2024

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Human Capital Project

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Education in Fragile, Conflict & Violence Contexts

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Education worldwide - statistics & facts

Regional differences in higher education, the impact of covid-19, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Educational attainment worldwide 2020, by gender and level

Global adult literacy rate 2000-2022, by gender

Global youth literacy rate 2000-2022, by gender

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Education Level & Skills

Educational Institutions & Market

Share of people with tertiary education in OECD countries 2022, by country

Illiteracy rates by world region 2022

Further recommended statistics

• Basic Statistic Educational attainment worldwide 2020, by gender and level
• Basic Statistic Share of OECD population with primary education as highest education level 2021
• Basic Statistic Share of population in OECD countries with secondary education 2022
• Basic Statistic Share of people with tertiary education in OECD countries 2022, by country
• Premium Statistic Education Index - comparison of selected countries 2022
• Premium Statistic Share of population not in education or employment globally2023, by gender and region
• Basic Statistic Pre-education participation rate worldwide 2022, by region

Educational attainment worldwide in 2020, by gender and level

Share of OECD population with primary education as highest education level 2021

Share of population in OECD countries with primary or lower secondary education as highest education level in 2021, by country

Share of population in OECD countries with secondary education 2022

Share of population in OECD countries with upper secondary education as highest education level in 2022

Share of people with tertiary education in OECD and affiliated countries in 2022, by country

Education Index - comparison of selected countries 2022

Education index including inequality* of selected countries in 2022

Share of population not in education or employment globally2023, by gender and region

Share of population not in education, training, or employment worldwide in 2023, by gender and region

Pre-education participation rate worldwide 2022, by region

Participation rate in organized learning (one year before official primary entry age) worldwide in 2022, by region

Primary education

• Basic Statistic Number of pupils in primary education worldwide 2000-2020
• Basic Statistic Net enrollment rate in primary school worldwide 2000-2018
• Basic Statistic Lower secondary education net enrollment rate globally 2020, by country development
• Basic Statistic Primary school completion rate worldwide 2000-2020

Number of pupils in primary education worldwide 2000-2020

Number of pupils in primary education worldwide from 2000 to 2020 (in millions)

Net enrollment rate in primary school worldwide 2000-2018

Net enrollment rate in primary school worldwide from 2000 to 2018

Lower secondary education net enrollment rate globally 2020, by country development

Net enrollment rate in primary school worldwide in 2020, by country development status

Primary school completion rate worldwide 2000-2020

Primary school completion rate worldwide from 2000 to 2020

Secondary education

• Basic Statistic Number of pupils in secondary education worldwide 2000-2020
• Basic Statistic Net enrollment rate in secondary school worldwide 2000-2018
• Basic Statistic Secondary school net enrollment rate globally 2020, by level and country development
• Basic Statistic Lower secondary completion rate worldwide 2000-2019
• Premium Statistic Sex ratio in secondary education worldwide 2000-2020, by gender

Number of pupils in secondary education worldwide 2000-2020

Number of pupils in secondary education worldwide from 2000 to 2020 (in millions)

Net enrollment rate in secondary school worldwide 2000-2018

Net enrollment rate in secondary school worldwide from 2000 to 2018

Secondary school net enrollment rate globally 2020, by level and country development

Net enrollment rate in secondary education worldwide in 2020, by level and country development status

Lower secondary completion rate worldwide 2000-2019

Lower secondary completion rate worldwide from 2000 to 2019

Sex ratio in secondary education worldwide 2000-2020, by gender

Sex ratio among those enrolled in secondary education worldwide from 2000 to 2020, gender parity index*

Higher education

• Premium Statistic Number of universities worldwide in 2023, by country
• Basic Statistic World university rankings by Times Higher Education 2023/2024
• Basic Statistic Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2023
• Basic Statistic World university rankings by reputation score, by Times Higher Education 2022
• Premium Statistic Top host destination of international students worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic International student share of higher-ed population worldwide in 2022, by country
• Premium Statistic Field of study of international students worldwide 2022, by country

Number of universities worldwide in 2023, by country

Estimated number of universities worldwide as of July 2023, by country

World university rankings by Times Higher Education 2023/2024

World university rankings for 2023/24, according to Times Higher Education

Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2023

The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy

World university rankings by reputation score, by Times Higher Education 2022

Times Higher Education ranking of the best universities worldwide in 2022, by reputation score

Top host destination of international students worldwide 2022

Top host destination of international students worldwide in 2022, by number of students

International student share of higher-ed population worldwide in 2022, by country

Countries with the largest amount of international students as a share of the total higher education population in 2022

Field of study of international students worldwide 2022, by country

Field of study of international students worldwide in 2022, by country

Literacy rates

• Basic Statistic Global adult literacy rate 2000-2022, by gender
• Basic Statistic Global youth literacy rate 2000-2022, by gender
• Basic Statistic Global youth literacy rate as gender parity index 2009-2022
• Basic Statistic Illiteracy rates by world region 2022

Global adult literacy rate from 2000 to 2022, by gender

Global youth literacy rate from 2000 to 2022, by gender

Global youth literacy rate as gender parity index 2009-2022

Global youth literacy rate as gender parity index (GPI) from 2009 to 2022

The illiteracy rate among all adults (over 15-year-old) in 2022, by world region

Impact of COVID-19

• Basic Statistic Number of countries with closed schools worldwide 2021, by status
• Basic Statistic Number of students in countries with closed schools worldwide 2021, by status
• Basic Statistic Students and teachers affected by the coronavirus pandemic worldwide 2020
• Basic Statistic Number of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide 2020
• Basic Statistic Share of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide 2020
• Basic Statistic Number of students at risk of not returning to school worldwide 2020, by region

Number of countries with closed schools worldwide 2021, by status

Number of countries with closed schools worldwide in 2021, by status

Number of students in countries with closed schools worldwide 2021, by status

Number of students in countries with closed schools worldwide in 2021, by status (in millions)

Students and teachers affected by the coronavirus pandemic worldwide 2020

Students and teachers affected by the coronavirus pandemic worldwide in 2020 (in billions)

Number of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide 2020

Estimated number of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide as of 2020, by education level (in millions)

Share of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide 2020

Estimated share of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide as of 2020, by education level (in millions)

Number of students at risk of not returning to school worldwide 2020, by region

Estimated number of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide as of 2020, by region (in millions)

Estimated number of students at risk of not returning to education institutions worldwide as of 2020, by gender (in millions)

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Public School Rankings by State 2024

Finding the best public school is a priority for many families. A good education is important to these families, who may even choose where they purchase or rent housing to ensure their children are in the best public school systems.

There are about 51 million public school students in the United States . While far from perfect, public schools play a vital role in their respective communities. Public schools improve their communities and the welfare of children. Public schools welcome all children, no matter their income level, disability, or previous academic performance. Many schools provide school meals , which helps children from food-insecure families get nutritious food every day. The better the public school, the more likely students will achieve higher educational attainment .

While there is no comprehensive way to measure what public schools are the best in the nation, a few surveys look at data, including high school graduation rates and college readiness, to determine which states have the best schools.

States with the Best Public Schools

WalletHub ranked each state's public schools for "Quality" and "Safety" using 33 relevant metrics. Metrics included high school graduation rate among low-income students, math and reading scores, median SAT and ACT scores, pupil-teach ratio, the share of armed students, the number of school shootings between 2000 and June 2020, bullying incidence rate, and more. Based on these metrics, Massachusetts , Connecticut , and New Jersey have the best public schools in the United States.

1. Massachusetts

Massachusetts has the best public school system in the U.S. 48.8% of Massachusetts's eligible schools ranked in the top 25% of high school rankings, a total of 167 schools. Massachusetts has the highest math and reading test scores in the U.S. and the second-highest median ACT score of 25.1. Massachusetts also has one of the lowest bullying incidence rates in the country and is considered one of the best states for teachers . Massachusetts is also the most educated state in the country.

2. Connecticut

Connecticut ranks second in the nation for public schools, ranking second for quality and 19th for safety. Connecticut students have the highest median ACT score of 25.5 and have the third-highest reading test scores. Connecticut spends about $18,958 per student, one of the highest per-pupil costs in the country. Connecticut is also one of the best states for teachers due to having small class sizes and some of the best-paid teachers in the U.S. with an average annual salary of $73,113.

3. New Jersey

New Jersey has the third-best public schools in the United States. New Jersey has the second-lowest dropout rate among states and the third-lowest pupil-to-teacher ratio. Additionally, students have the third-highest math test scores and the second-highest reading test scores in the nation. New Jersey ranks second for the overall quality of schools and 11th for safety. The state spends about $21,866 per student on average. New Jersey is considered the second-best state for teachers, with the sixth-highest average salary of $69,917 per year.

4. Virginia

Virginia has the fourth-best public schools overall in the United States, ranking fourth for quality and third for safety. Virginia public schools were found to have the fourth-highest math test scores in the country. Virginia schools also have the fourth-lowest bullying incidence rate and have "no significant shortcomings" when assessed for safety from violence, bullying, harassment, and substance use.

5. New Hampshire

New Hampshire has the fifth-best public schools in the United States, ranking fourth for quality and twelfth for safety. New Hampshire schools have the fourth-highest reading test scores among states and the second-highest median ACT score of 25.1. Additionally, New Hampshire has the fifth-lowest pupil-to-teacher ratio of about 12-to-1.

6. Maryland

The sixth-best state for public schools is Maryland. Maryland's average ACT score is 22.3, and its average SAT score is 1058. The pupil-to-teacher in Maryland is 15:1, below the national average.

7. Delaware

Ranking seventh for public schools is Delaware, which ranks sixteenth for quality and third for safety. Delaware has the second-lowest bullying incident rate, only second to D.C. The average ACT score is 24.1, higher than the U.S. average, but the pupil-to-teacher ratio is 22:1.

8. Nebraska

At the eighth spot for states with the best public schools is Nebraska. Ranking twelfth for quality and eighth for safety, Nebraska is tied for the second-best SAT scores.

9. Wisconsin

Wisconsin has the ninth-best public schools in the U.S. The state ranks sixth for quality, tying with Minnesota for the highest median SAT score. Wisconsin's pupil-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, lower than the U.S. average.

10. Vermont

Vermont has the fifth-best public schools in the nation. Vermont ranks eighth for quality, having the lowest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country, allowing teachers to give each student extra attention. The average teacher ratio in the U.S. is 16-to-1, while Vermont's is 10.5-to-1. Vermont also ranks fourth for safety, tied for first with Massachusetts and Oklahoma for having the lowest percentage of threatened/injured high school students.

On the opposite end, the five states with the worst public schools are New Mexico , Alaska , Louisiana , Arizona , and West Virginia .

• All data are expressed as rankings from 1 (best) to 50 (worst).
• The School Quality subcategory evaluates states across 12 indicators, including % of teachers who meet all state licensing requirements, annual per-pupil spending, pupil-to-teacher ratio, schools that require health education.
• The Student Safety subcategory evaluates states across 15 indicators, including bullying rate, instances of crimes such as robbery or sexual assault, and the prevalence of illegal drug sales on school property.
• The Student Success subcategory evaluates states across 15 indicators, including SAT scores, ACDT scores, expulsion rates, dropout and graduation rates, and rates of students who go on to attend college.

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• 2023 State Education Rankings � Best to Worst - Scholaroo
• Mass. ranks 5th in the nation for education, 1st for student success - Boston.com

Five Best: Books on Teachers

A connecticut yankee in king arthur’s court.

By Mark Twain (1889)

1. Hank Morgan, an engineer in 19th-century Connecticut, is a time-traveling, pioneering educator who finds himself transported back in the realm of King Arthur’s Camelot. He is thrust into a world governed by superstition, chivalry and medieval hierarchy. There, he uses his modern knowledge to become the most influential teacher in the kingdom. Equipped with insight into inventions from the future—like electricity, cannons and the telegraph—Hank sets up secret schools: “I had the beginnings of all sorts of industries under way. . . . In these were gathered together the brightest young minds I could find, and I kept agents out raking the country for more, all the time. I was training a crowd of ignorant folks into experts—experts in every sort of handiwork and scientific calling.” Hank teaches the people of Camelot about science, democracy and the importance of questioning authority. Such education sparks the chagrin of the magician Merlin and others who benefit from preserving the status quo.

By Voltaire (1759)

2. In “Candide,” Voltaire offers a master class in critical thinking wrapped in the cloak of satire. He follows the naive protagonist, Candide, who has been schooled by his foolish teacher, Pangloss, in the philosophy of Leibnizian optimism—a belief that “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.” This philosophy is put to the test as Candide embarks on a journey across continents, during which he experiences the harshness of the world. “Even in those cities which seem to enjoy the blessings of peace, and where the arts flourish, the inhabitants are devoured by envy, cares and anxieties, which are greater plagues than any experienced in a town when it is under siege,” he observes. Through the absurd misfortunes that befall Candide and his companions, Voltaire highlights the importance of firsthand experience and empirical evidence in shaping one’s understanding of the world. Education isn’t just about absorbing facts or theories but about engaging with and questioning ideas.

The Upanishads

Translated by Eknath Easwaran (1987)

3. The term “Upanishad” comes from the Sanskrit words meaning “sitting down near.” This phrase evokes exactly what the Upanishads are—a series of enlightening conversations between gifted teachers and their students in the forests of ancient India. The text was written by many sages over several centuries—possibly centuries or millennia before their current written form, which is at least 2,500 years old. Like so many teachers today, the ones in the Upanishads are more than just instructors. They are mentors who nurture their students’ spiritual growth, leading them from ignorance to enlightenment. They engage in Socratic dialogue, most likely well before the time of Socrates. At one point, a student responds to Yama, the god of death, saying “I know that earthly treasures are transient, and never can I reach the eternal through them. Hence have I renounced all my desires for earthly treasures to win the eternal through your instruction.” These teachings underscore that knowledge is not just for personal gain but is a sacred trust to be shared in a spirit of humility and service.

By Isaac Asimov (1951)

4. Isaac Asimov’s science-fiction classic, “Foundation,” begins in the imaginary “Galactic Era” and unfolds over hundreds of years. I was in middle school when I first read it, but I grasped the novel’s message: that a civilization’s most important resource is knowledge. The central concept of “Foundation” is psychohistory—a fictional science that combines history, sociology and mathematical statistics to predict the future. Hari Seldon, a scholar of math and psychology, uses psychohistory to foresee the fall of the novel’s Galactic Empire. He devises a plan to shorten the ensuing dark age from 30,000 years to just 1,000 by creating a repository of human knowledge. Seldon explains: “If we now prepare a giant summary of all knowledge, it will never be lost. Coming generations will build on it, and will not have to rediscover it for themselves. One millennium will do the work of thirty thousand” years. Back in 2007, when venture capitalists approached me to turn my teaching company into a for-profit business, I asked myself, “What would Hari Seldon do?” I decided that Khan Academy would have the greatest effect if, inspired by Hari Seldon’s Foundation, we made it a nonprofit.

By Hermann Hesse (1922)

5. Siddhartha is a young man in ancient India, who leaves behind his family and a life of privilege to seek spiritual fulfillment in an odyssey of self-discovery and enlightenment. Throughout his travels, the protagonist of Hermann Hesse’s novel encounters diverse ways of living and different forms of teaching—from the ascetic life of renunciation to the materialistic allure of wealth. Siddhartha stands as a beacon for the importance of learning through experience and reflection. True understanding, according to Hesse, comes from living fully, rather than rotely memorizing or adhering to rigid doctrines. Siddhartha’s journey illustrates that wisdom isn’t taught but discovered. This message resonates in much of today’s educational landscape, which views the learner as a seeker and the teacher as a guide. Everything can be a teacher—and the ultimate education comes through life itself.

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Top 10 best universities in Sub-Saharan Africa

A report by Times Higher Education has ranked the top universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The ranking aims to spotlight African higher education institutions and address local higher education challenges.

• The University of the Witwatersrand takes first place in the first-ever Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings.
• The top five is made up of universities from South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. 
• While South Africa has the most institutions in the top 10 (four), Nigeria is the most-represented nation overall, with 37 ranked institutions.

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The rankings were officially announced at the organisation’s first forum in the region, which took place in partnership with Ashesi University in June 2023. According to the report, the list is led by South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand. The University of Johannesburg, and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania came in second and third, respectively.

Despite South Africa having the most institutions in the top 10 (four), Nigeria is the most-represented nation overall, with 37 ranked institutions, led by Covenant University in seventh place. The ranking includes 88 institutions from 20 countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Mauritius, Kenya and Mozambique.

Insights from the report showed that about two-thirds of participating universities are public institutions; a quarter are private, not-for-profit organisations; and about a tenth are private, for-profit organisations.

The ranking was put together with a hybrid methodology covering teaching, impact and research elements. The methodology is made up of five key pillars: resources and finance; access and fairness; teaching skills; student engagement, and Africa impact.

A key part of the data collection was a survey of more than 20,000 students from 88 institutions. Students were asked a range of questions, including how challenged they felt by the teaching at the university, how much it supported critical thinking and the opportunities they had to interact with staff of Exam-Labs and peers.

Top universities in Sub-Saharan Africa according to Times Higher Education

1. university of the witwatersrand, south africa (81.9).

The University of the Witwatersrand, commonly known as “Wits”, is located in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The university has five faculties encompassing the sciences; commerce, law and management; engineering; health sciences; and humanities.

Famous alumni include Nelson Mandela, who studied law there and became president of South Africa and the 1993 Nobel Laureate for peace; novelist Nadine Gordimer (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1991); Aaron Klug (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1982) and Sydney Brenner (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2002).

2. University of Johannesburg, South Africa (79.6)

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is the second South African university to feature in the top five of the SSA ranking.

The university has four campuses, each with its own unique identity and history.

UJ has eight colleges and faculties – business and economics; art, design and architecture; education; engineering and the built environment; health sciences; humanities; law and science. There is also the Johannesburg Business School.

3. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania (79.2)

Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences is a public university in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The university focuses on teaching and research in medicine, dentistry, public health, nursing and allied health.

The university has two campuses, one in Upanga West, in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam, and another 31km west of Muhimbili Hospital, which has a 571-bed teaching hospital.

4. University of Pretoria, South Africa (78.7)

The University of Pretoria was founded in 1908 with just four professors and 32 students. It has now expanded to become one of the largest research universities in South Africa.

There are nine faculties encompassing economics and management sciences; education; engineering, built environment and information technology; health sciences; humanities; law; natural and agricultural sciences; theology and religion and veterinary science. There is also the Gordon Institute of Business.

5. Makerere University, Uganda (72.1)

Makerere University was established in 1922 and is the oldest university in Uganda.

It began as a technical school offering courses in carpentry, building and mechanics and has since expanded to offer courses in agricultural sciences, business and management sciences, computing and information sciences, education, engineering, design art, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, natural sciences and law.

The university is spread over three campuses in the country’s capital, Kampala.

The best universities in Sub-Saharan Africa: top 10

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Morning Bid: China PMIs, Tokyo CPI Eyed; Month-End Mood Dims

A visitor using his smartphone takes photos of an electronic screen displaying Japan's Nikkei share average, which surged past an all-time record high scaled in December 1989, inside a building in Tokyo, Japan February 22, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

By Jamie McGeever

(Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets.

An Asian economic calendar on Friday overflowing with top-tier indicators awaits investors, who look set to close out the week and the month on a downbeat note as worries grow over the strength of the U.S. and global economies.

Investors often cheer 'bad news' on the U.S. economy by bidding up risk assets on the view that the Fed will be forced to ease policy. Equally, 'good news' often drags stocks and bonds lower because rates may have to stay higher for longer.

Investors' reaction to revised U.S. GDP figures on Thursday followed neither play book - bad news was bad news. Slower GDP growth in Q1 pushed stocks, the dollar and bond yields lower, and relatively dovish comments from New York Fed president John Williams failed to provide much comfort.

The MSCI World, MSCI Asia ex-Japan, MSCI emerging market and Japan's Nikkei 225 indexes are all poised for their second weekly loss in a row. Rising bond yields, and now U.S. growth concerns, are taking their toll. 

And could the U.S. tech fairy tale be starting to fade too?

Financial conditions certainly seem to be biting. According to Goldman Sachs, emerging market, Chinese and global financial conditions are the tightest in a month. Little wonder, perhaps, that investors are taking some chips off the table as the month end approaches.

It may be month-end on Friday, but there will be no rest for Asian markets. Not if the economic calendar is anything to go by.

China's official purchasing managers' index reports for May, a raft of top-tier indicators from Japan including retail sales, industrial production and Tokyo inflation, and first quarter GDP from India and Taiwan are all on tap.

China's PMIs are expected to show that manufacturing activity in May grew at a similar pace to the previous month when it barely managed to stay expansionary, reinforcing the fragile nature of the recovery in the world's No.2 economy.

China's economy blew past expectations to post growth of 5.3% in the first quarter, and a string of April indicators including factory output, trade and consumer prices suggest it has successfully navigated some near-term downside risks.

But the crisis-hit property sector remains a major drag, deflationary pressures persist, and capital is just as liable to be flowing out of the country than in.

Core inflation in Japan's capital, meanwhile, is expected to have picked up in May to 1.9% from a two-year low of 1.6% in April, and India's economy likely grew at a 6.5% rate in the January-March quarter - its slowest pace in a year - due to weak demand. 

Here are key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Friday:

- China official PMIs (May)

- Tokyo inflation (May)

- India GDP (Q1)

(Reporting by Jamie McGeever; Editing by Josie Kao)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: United States , India , Asia , Japan

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U.S. News Guide to College Majors

Options for selecting a college major are numerous and wide-ranging.

Choosing where to attend college is a big decision. But even if you’ve had your sights set on attending your dream school since you were a kid, what will you study there? Some majors, like business, offer courses on a broad range of related topics, while others, like mechanical engineering, present a more specialized track. Deciding what to major in can be overwhelming, but learning about the variety of majors available, coupled with understanding your own strengths, interests and goals, can help you decide which one is right for you.

This guide presents information about some common college majors, the pay associated with those majors and what to expect if you find yourself wanting to change your major.

Understanding College Majors

A college major is a focused area of study. While many undergraduate students must meet general education requirements like taking an English composition or a world history class, the courses associated with a major provide a deeper dive into a subject or specialty area, usually to prepare students for careers in that field.

When considering potential college majors, students should think about the following factors:

• Interests and passions. What do you love and care about? How do you spend your free time? Can you picture yourself still caring about those things throughout your college and professional careers? 
• Aptitudes and strengths. What are you good at? Are you an excellent problem solver (in complex situations or when doing math homework)? Do you have a knack for writing or public speaking? Consider how your strengths might benefit you in a variety of careers. At the same time, be aware of your weaknesses. If you faint at the sight of blood, the medical field might not be the right fit for you, for example.
• Career goals and prospects. What do you want to accomplish in your professional career, and how might a college degree help you achieve that? Do your goals align with the demands of the job market? What skills might you need to obtain and which topics might you need to study to reach your goals? 
• Flexibility and exploration. Do you want to define your own path and figure out what interests you most throughout your college journey, or do you have more rigid or focused career goals?

Exploring Common College Majors

Stem majors.

The science, technology, engineering and math – collectively known as STEM – fields present a wide variety of in-demand and potentially high-paying jobs. Students with an aptitude and interest for math and science might consider one of these majors, which include:

• Computer Science . 
• Engineering . 
• Biology . 
• Mathematics . 
• Physics . 

Many STEM subject areas can be subdivided into more focused areas of study, such as mechanical engineering or microbiology , for example.

Social sciences and humanities majors

Chances are, you’ll take some introductory courses for social sciences and humanities regardless of your major. But students who choose to major in one of these subject areas go deeper, on their way toward becoming experts in their field. Social sciences and humanities majors include:

• Psychology . 
• Sociology . 
• Political Science . 
• English Literature . 

Business and economics majors

If you declare a business major, you’ll be in good company on your campus. Business is one of the most common undergraduate majors, according to the National Center for Education Statistics . While some majors in this field, like accounting, are more tailored toward a specific career, others, like a general business degree , can provide a broader scope of the subject area. Business and economics majors include:

• Accounting . 
• Finance . 
• Marketing . 
• International Business . 
• Economics . 

Arts and communication majors

Arts and communication majors likely won’t receive paychecks as large as those their peers in some science or business roles get, but they use their skills to tell stories and convey messages, whether for education or entertainment. Some popular majors for students who want to hone their arts and communication skills include:

• Fine Arts .
• Graphic Design . 
• Film and Media Studies. 
• Journalism . 
• Communication Studies . 

Health and medical majors

Jobs in the health care field are always in demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs including physical therapist, registered nurse and pharmacist are projected to grow by at least an average rate by 2032. While some roles in this field can be obtained with a bachelor’s degree, others require further schooling. And for students who hope to be accepted into medical school, majoring in a related field for their undergraduate education can lay a firm foundation for the rest of their studies. Health and medical majors include:

• Nursing . 
• Premedical Studies . 
• Pharmacy . 
• Physical Therapy. 
• Public Health . 

Education majors

Students who have a passion for learning may also desire to foster that same trait in others. Whether they plan to teach at a certain grade level or in a specific subject area, or they hope to be a principal or superintendent someday, students who choose an education major learn how to effectively instruct others. Education majors include:

• Elementary Education . 
• Secondary Education. 
• Special Education . 
• Early Childhood Education . 
• Physical Education. 

Exploring niche and emerging majors

While college students have been majoring in areas like education and business for decades, other majors have developed over time in response to growing areas of need or interest. Students who want to explore careers in newer or more niche fields might consider majors such as:

• Environmental Science . 
• Data Science and Analytics. 
• Cybersecurity . 
• Sports Management . 
• Digital Marketing. 

Degrees in more niche subject areas may not be offered by as many schools as the more common majors, so prospective students should keep this in mind as part of their college search.

Additional college majors

High school students who explore a variety of subject areas might discover a college major they’d never thought about before, so be sure to learn as much as you can about anything that interests you while considering your college plans. To assist you in learning what it’s like to major in a variety of areas, U.S. News provides guides on what you need to know about majors like:

• Animal Science . 
• Anthropology .
• Architecture . 
• Astronomy . 
• Biochemistry .
• Biomedical Engineering . 
• Business Administration . 
• Chemistry . 
• Cognitive Science . 
• Computer Engineering . 
• Criminology . 
• Geography . 
• Human Biology . 
• Human Resources . 
• Human Services . 
• International Relations . 
• Linguistics . 
• Management Information and Services . 
• Music . 
• Nutrition . 
• Philosophy . 
• Physiology . 
• Public Policy . 
• Public Relations .
• Real Estate .
• Social Work .
• Statistics .

Pick the Perfect Major

Discover the perfect major for you based on your innate wiring. The Innate Assessment sets you up for success by pairing you with majors, colleges and careers that fit your unique skills and abilities.

Career Paths and Opportunities

Crucially, what a student chooses to major in sets the course for their next steps after graduation. A company looking to hire a graphic designer is more likely to be interested in a candidate who has a degree in graphic design and built a portfolio of design projects while in school than it is in someone who majored in an unrelated field.

While many students’ formal education culminates in a bachelor’s degree, that’s not always the case. For careers that require a master’s, doctorate or professional degree, undergraduates should plan ahead as much as possible. Some graduate programs may only consider applicants who meet minimum GPA requirements, have a bachelor’s degree in a related field or completed relevant coursework in undergrad. Students who know they want to apply for dental school, for example, should look at the prerequisites for dental programs and make sure their major and the courses they take while earning their bachelor’s degree is in line with those requirements.

Other students may want to enter the workforce after graduation and apply for graduate school after gaining a few years of relevant professional experience. Master’s in Business Administration programs tend to prefer applicants who have real-world experience, for instance.

Because jobs in some fields pay more than others, a student’s college major can ultimately affect how much money they make in the future. For example, while both elementary school teachers and information security analysts can obtain their jobs with a bachelor’s degree, their mean annual salaries are dramatically different. Elementary school teachers make an average of $68,000 per year, while information security analysts, who typically have a degree in computer science or a related field, make $119,860 per year on average, according to the BLS.

Highest-paying college majors

Students who major in the STEM fields tend to see some of the highest starting salaries in the workforce. Those who major in engineering or computer science might see a particularly good return on their investment . According to the BLS, computer hardware engineers made an average salary of $140,830 in 2022, while computer network architects made an average of $129,490 and aerospace engineers made an average salary of $127,090. Some employers may prefer employees in these roles to have a master’s degree, while others may hire bachelor’s degree-holders.

Health care professionals like surgeons, emergency medicine physicians and anesthesiologists also have high salaries, but these jobs require years of postgraduate education.

Lowest-paying college majors 

While undergraduate students may pay similar tuition rates regardless of their major, the resulting payoff isn’t always the same. Majors in the arts and humanities tend to lead to lower-paying jobs than some roles STEM majors can obtain. According to the BLS, graphic designers made an average of $64,500 in 2022. Archaeologists and anthropologists, many of whom need a master’s or doctoral degree to advance their careers, made an average annual salary of $68,310 in 2022, according to the BLS.

Despite the gap in pay between majors, a college degree generally can pay off in the long run. According to a Georgetown University study , bachelor’s degree holders earn 31% more than associate’s degree holders and 84% more than people whose highest level of education is a high school diploma.

Strategies for Choosing a College Major

When choosing a college major, students should consider their interests and talents as well as career goals and potential future earnings. If multiple options are on the table, think about other resources that might help you narrow your choices, like:

• Meet with a guidance or career counselor at your school. They may be able to help you prioritize what you’re looking for in a career or inform you about a major you haven't considered. 
• Learn about programs at your preferred colleges and universities. Sometimes, the decisions of what to study and where to study can go hand in hand. What majors do your dream school and backup schools offer? Which of those majors pique your interest?
• Job shadow or conduct informational interviews. Do any adults in your life have jobs that look like something you might want to do in the future? Do you know any current college students who might want to provide you with insight into the coursework for their major? It’s not uncommon for people to talk to high school students about what they plan to do after graduation, so don't be afraid to ask people about what a typical day on their job looks like. If possible, apply for a job shadowing or internship program with an organization so you can get hands-on experience with that industry and a better idea of whether you might want to pursue it in college. 

Majors in high demand

While majors like business have remained consistently popular over the years, others have seen higher or lower enrollment rates depending on the needs of the ever-evolving workforce. Students who major in a STEM or health care field can expect their skills and expertise to be in demand: Among the 10 jobs from which the BLS expects to see the fastest growth by 2032 are nurse practitioners, data scientists, information security analysts, medical and health services managers, physician assistants and software developers. While nurse practitioners and physician assistants typically need a master’s degree, these other roles typically require only a bachelor’s degree.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 , which examines how jobs might evolve over a five-year period, states that the fastest-growing occupations relative to their size include roles in technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning specialists, as well as sustainability, like renewable energy engineers.

Flexibility and Adaptability in Choosing a Major

While choosing a college major is a big decision, it’s not uncommon for students to change majors at some point during their undergraduate career. But switching majors doesn’t come without risk – you may find yourself taking extra classes to meet the degree requirements for your new major, which can lead to you spending more time and money than it would have cost to follow one degree track from the beginning of your time in college.

Many colleges and universities don’t require students to declare a major until their sophomore year, or until they have completed a certain number of credit hours. So if you’re undecided at the start of your college journey, register for required core classes and take advantage of campus resources and elective courses that can help you find the right major.

Some majors allow students to specialize further by choosing a concentration within their major based on what they intend for their career path. Concentrations vary by institution, but for example, students majoring in sports management might be able to specialize in topics like sports business, analytics, marketing or administration, depending on what area of sports management they want to work in.

Some students find that declaring a double major might help them reach their career goals. Students who double major still only earn one degree – and therefore can still complete their bachelor’s degree in four years – but double majoring means they’ve earned enough credits in two (often related) subject areas for both to be considered a major.

In addition to a major, students commonly declare a minor , a secondary subject area in which to focus. A minor can complement your studies without requiring as many courses in a specialty area as a major. Your chosen minor might not be directly related to your major, but it could help equip you for reaching your career goals. For example, a journalism major who ultimately wants to cover politics may minor in political science, and a fine arts major who hopes to open their own studio someday might choose to minor in business or education.

But even with all these options, students aren’t necessarily limited to specific majors offered at their chosen college or university. Many schools offer an interdisciplinary studies major , or custom study path that incorporates coursework from multiple subject areas to align with a student’s career goals. Students who are interested in interdisciplinary studies or a custom degree should meet with their academic adviser and learn their school’s process for assembling a custom program of study.

Tags: students , education , colleges , college majors , STEM jobs , STEM

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