While education levels vary from country to country, there is a clear correlation between the quality of a country's educational system and its general economic status and overall well-being. In general, developing nations tend to offer their citizens a higher quality of education than the least developed nations do, and fully developed nations offer the best quality of education of all. Education is clearly a vital contributor to any country's overall health.
According to the Global Partnership for Education, education is considered to be a human right and plays a crucial role in human, social, and economic development. Education promotes gender equality, fosters peace, and increases a person's chances of having more and better life and career opportunities.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." — Nelson Mandela
The annual Best Countries Report, conducted by US News and World Report, BAV Group, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, reserves an entire section for education. The report surveys thousands of people across 78 countries, then ranks those countries based upon the survey's responses. The education portion of the survey compiles scores from three equally-weighted attributes: a well-developed public education system, would consider attending university there, and provides top-quality education. As of 2023, the top ten countries based on education rankings are:
Countries with the Best Educational Systems - 2021 Best Countries Report*
Ironically, despite the United States having the best-surveyed education system on the globe, U.S students consistently score lower in math and science than students from many other countries. According to a Business Insider report in 2018, the U.S. ranked 38th in math scores and 24th in science. Discussions about why the United States' education rankings have fallen by international standards over the past three decades frequently point out that government spending on education has failed to keep up with inflation.
It's also worthwhile to note that while the Best Countries study is certainly respectable, other studies use different methodologies or emphasize different criteria, which often leads to different results. For example, the Global Citizens for Human Rights' annual study measures ten levels of education from early childhood enrollment rates to adult literacy. Its final 2020 rankings look a bit different:
Education Rates of Children Around the World
Most findings and ranking regarding education worldwide involve adult literacy rates and levels of education completed. However, some studies look at current students and their abilities in different subjects.
One of the most-reviewed studies regarding education around the world involved 470,000 fifteen-year-old students. Each student was administered tests in math, science, and reading similar to the SAT or ACT exams (standardized tests used for college admissions in the U.S.) These exam scores were later compiled to determine each country's average score for each of the three subjects. Based on this study, China received the highest scores, followed by Korea, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Australia and the Netherlands.
On the down side, there are many nations whose educational systems are considered inadequate. This could be due to internal conflict, economic problems, or underfunded programs. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's Education for All Global Monitoring Report ranks the following countries as having the world's worst educational systems:
Countries with the Lowest Adult Literacy Rates
FAQs
What is the most educated country in the world in 2024? ›
1- South Korea
South Korea stands out as the most educated country globally, with a literacy rate of 97.9% in 2024.
What is the US education ranking in the world 2024? ›
According to the 2024 rankings, the United Kingdom has the most well-developed education system in the world. The United States comes in second place, followed by Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. France is ranked sixth, Denmark seventh, Canada eighth, Germany ninth, and Switzerland tenth.
Which country has the best education system ranking? ›
How does America rank in education? ›
As of 2022, the U.S. was below average in math but above average in science compared with other member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of mostly highly developed, democratic nations: U.S. students ranked 28th out of 37 OECD member countries in math.
Where does the US rank in math? ›
Among the 81 international school systems that participated in the PISA last year, the U.S. ranked 26th in math achievement, up from 29th among the same group of school systems in 2018.
What is the most powerful country in 2024? ›
Which is the richest country in the world 2024? ›
1. Luxembourg ($140,000) With a GDP per capita of about $140,000, Luxembourg ranks first among the richest countries in the world. A robust financial sector and a significant and constant influx of foreign capital characterise its economy.
Which religion is most educated? ›
He found that Hindus, Jews, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Buddhists, and Orthodox Christians have the highest levels of education. Catholics, Mormons, and Muslims are at about the national average. Jehovah's Witnesses have by far the lowest education.
Does the US lead the world in education? ›
The US was once a leader for healthcare and education — now it ranks 27th in the world. The US now ranks 27th in the world for its levels of healthcare and education, according to a new study. This represents a significant decline from 1990, when it ranked sixth.
In 2021, about 37.7 percent of the U.S. population who were aged 25 and above had graduated from college or another higher education institution, a slight decline from 37.9 the previous year. However, this is a significant increase from 1960, when only 7.7 percent of the U.S. population had graduated from college.
When did the US have the best education system in the world? ›
In the 1960s and 1970s, the United States had the best-educated young people in the world, or pretty close to it.
Which country has the smartest education system? ›
Sweden. Sweden has one of the best education systems in the world—the country known for its high standard of living and excellent education system. In 2023, the number of international students in Sweden was over 41,967.
Which country has the hardest curriculum in the world? ›
Top 10 Toughest Courses in the World in 2024
- South Korea.
- China.
- Japan.
- India.
- Singapore.
- Finland.
- Hong Kong.
- United States.
The United States ranked in the top five for 2023. U.S. News released “The 25 Best Countries in the World” for 2023, and the United States of America made it into the top five! Following not far behind Switzerland in the number one spot, the United States claimed fifth place.
Which country is best for students future? ›
Best countries for university education in 2024
- USA.
- UK.
- Germany.
- Australia.
- Canada.
- France.
- Spain.
- South Korea.
Our animation represents the most up-to-date data the United Nations has available (as of August, 2022). Australia is the country with the highest expected years of schooling at 22, and Eritrea and South Sudan have the lowest expected years of schooling at 5.
Which 5 countries are likely to have a rate of no education above 20% by 2050? ›
These figures, from The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), suggest that we should see rates of education increasing as the world develops – and by 2050, only five countries are likely to have a rate of no education above 20%: these are Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali and Niger.
Why is the US education system the best in the world? ›
1) Academic Excellence
It is hard to beat the US education system regarding academic excellence. American universities contain diverse departments, reputed faculties, high-level research, and academic facilities. Every year US universities rank at the top of the world's best universities.
