Education Rankings by Country 2024 (2024)

Education Levels Across the Globe

The education level of a country's citizens is a key determinant of its economic prosperity. Higher education levels often lead to enhanced growth and development in a nation. However, comparing education systems across countries is challenging due to differences in teaching methods and resource availability. To address this, indexes have been developed to assess the education levels of citizens.

In our report, we utilize the 'Education Index', which is a part of the 'knowledge' component of the United Nations' Human Development Index. Currently we are leveraging the data from the 2022 Index. This index evaluates factors such as expected and actual years of schooling, and educational achievements at all levels. A country scores better on this index and ranks higher as it approaches a score of 1.

Our initial analysis of recent data on world education rankings reveals several trends:

  • Nordic countries, including Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, consistently score high on the education index, and are considered to have some of the best education systems in the world.
  • Nations previously under Soviet influence, like Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, have made significant strides in improving their education systems.
  • Economic powerhouses such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and the US have high rankings, yet disparities exist. For example, the US education ranking comes in 13th place, with a score of 0.883, and falls behind countries like Germany and New Zealand, in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
  • Developing and underdeveloped countries, mainly in African and South Asian regions, are at the lower end of the rankings.
  • Asian nations display varying results. Countries like South Korea and Japan excel with their competitive education systems, while others, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, face challenges due to political instability and limited resources.

Countries with the Best Education

Iceland has the best rated education in the world with an index score of 0.938. Following close behind is Germany, the second best education ranking with a score of 0.917. New Zealand is just a few percentage points behind with a score of 0.914, making it the 3rd best educated country.

Next, we have two Nordic countries, Norway and Denmark, ranking fourth and fifth respectively. Norway has an index score of 0.912, while Denmark scored 0.909. Another Nordic country, Finland, scored 0.907 and is in sixth place.

Switzerland, known for its high-quality education system, ranks seventh best with a score of 0.902. Holding the eighth best education system is the United Kingdom with a score of 0.901. Slovenia, too, ranks impressively with a score of 0.898, grabbing the ninth spot.

Lastly, Australia rounds out the top ten with a score of 0.896.

10 Countries with Best World Education Rank:

(Score of 1 is the highest possible score)

1. Iceland - 0.938

2. Germany - 0.917

3. New Zealand - 0.914

4. Norway - 0.912

5. Denmark - 0.909

6. Finland - 0.907

7. Switzerland - 0.902

8. United Kingdom - 0.901

9. Slovenia - 0.898

10. Australia - 0.896

Education Rank by Country

Full Data Set

To sort the data in the table, click on the column headers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What country has the best education?

Iceland has the best rated education in the world with an Education Index score of 0.938.

2. Where does the US rank in education?

The United States ranks 13th in education with an Education Index score of 0.883.

Source

Year- 2022

Source-United Nation's Human Development Index

Methodology- The 'Education Index' is derived from the 'knowledge' component of the United Nations Human Development Index. This Education Index evaluates two main factors: expected and actual years of schooling and educational achievements at all levels. A country scores better on this index and ranks higher as it approaches a score of 1.

State Name

1.

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Education Rankings by Country 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Which country has the best education system in 2024? ›

What are the Countries Having the Best Education System in the World?
Countries Having the Best Education System in the World
S.NOCountryQuality of Life Index
1United Kingdom78.2
2United States72
3Australia70.5
12 more rows
Jun 14, 2024

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.

What country is #1 in education? ›

Snapshot
CountryEducation Rank (USN 2021)
United States1
United Kingdom2
Germany3
Canada4
6 more rows

Where is America ranked in education? ›

Education Rankings by Country
RankRegionEducation Index
13.United States0.883
14.Estonia0.876
15.Netherlands0.875
16.Latvia0.872
157 more rows

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.

Which country has the best education system in the world? ›

1. United States of America. The United States has the best education system in the world. A significant number of international students, totalling 1,057,000, have been enrolled in universities in the USA last year.

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.

Which country has the highest expected years of schooling? ›

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.

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.

How well educated is the United States? ›

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.

Is American or Canadian education better? ›

The USA comes in first place if you look at university rankings. 25% of the top 100 universities in the world are America, far ahead of Canada which only has 8 in the top 200. Harvard, MIT, University of Chicago, and UC Berkeley are just a few of the top schools open to international students in the US.

Which US state is 1 in education? ›

According to the data, Massachusetts ranks as the most educated state in the country. The authors make note of the state's exceptional public and private school systems and its performance compared to other states in reading and math, per the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

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.
Jun 10, 2024

Which country is best for students future? ›

Best countries for university education in 2024
  • USA.
  • UK.
  • Germany.
  • Australia.
  • Canada.
  • France.
  • Spain.
  • South Korea.
Apr 5, 2024

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.

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