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Education Rankings by Country 2024
There is a correlation between a country's educational system quality and its economic status, with developed nations offering higher quality education.
The U.S., despite ranking high in educational system surveys, falls behind in math and science scores compared to many other countries.
Educational system adequacy varies globally, with some countries struggling due to internal conflicts, economic challenges, or underfunded programs.
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:
1 | |
2 | |
3 | |
4 | |
5 | |
6 | |
7 | |
8 | |
9 | |
10 |
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
27% | |
31% | |
34% | |
35% | |
37% | |
37% | |
38% | |
41% | |
45% | |
47% |
- Education rankings are sourced from both the annual UN News Best Countries report and the nonprofit organization World Top 20
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| |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
41% | 2022 | 203 | |||||
35% | 2018 | 202 | |||||
100% | 2016 | 201 | |||||
81% | 2022 | 200 | |||||
88% | 2020 | 198 | |||||
86% | 2015 | 197 | |||||
72% | 2022 | 196 | |||||
54% | 2022 | 195 | |||||
86% | 2022 | 194 | |||||
62% | 2016 | 193 | |||||
90% | 2022 | 192 | 87 | ||||
62% | 2018 | 191 | |||||
0% | 190 | ||||||
83% | 2015 | 189 | |||||
0% | 188 | 77 | |||||
91% | 2015 | 187 | |||||
95% | 2015 | 186 | |||||
89% | 2015 | 185 | |||||
81% | 2021 | 184 | |||||
0% | 183 | ||||||
99% | 2021 | 182 | |||||
0% | 181 | ||||||
95% | 2020 | 180 | |||||
52% | 2017 | 179 | |||||
89% | 2021 | 178 | |||||
92% | 2021 | 177 | |||||
68% | 2022 | 176 | |||||
98% | 2022 | 175 | |||||
95% | 2019 | 174 | 71 | 59 | 70 | 69 | |
97% | 2015 | 173 | |||||
92% | 2021 | 172 | |||||
90% | 2022 | 171 | |||||
98% | 2000 | 170 | |||||
99% | 2005 | 169 | |||||
0% | 168 | ||||||
98% | 2012 | 167 | |||||
100% | 2021 | 166 | 48 | 43 | 40 | 38 | |
98% | 2020 | 165 | |||||
98% | 2022 | 164 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | |
99% | 2021 | 163 | 47 | ||||
45% | 2021 | 162 | |||||
37% | 2020 | 161 | |||||
27% | 2022 | 160 | |||||
63% | 2021 | 159 | |||||
59% | 2022 | 158 | |||||
0% | 157 | ||||||
81% | 2022 | 156 | |||||
31% | 2020 | 155 | |||||
58% | 2022 | 154 | |||||
98% | 2011 | 153 | |||||
62% | 2022 | 152 | |||||
76% | 2022 | 151 | |||||
48% | 2017 | 150 | |||||
82% | 2022 | 149 | |||||
77% | 2022 | 148 | |||||
38% | 2022 | 147 | |||||
37% | 2021 | 146 | |||||
94% | 2021 | 145 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 30 | |
100% | 2021 | 144 | |||||
34% | 2022 | 143 | |||||
77% | 2018 | 142 | |||||
78% | 2020 | 141 | 85 | 78 | |||
100% | 2014 | 140 | |||||
67% | 2021 | 139 | |||||
61% | 2018 | 138 | |||||
0% | 137 | ||||||
58% | 2019 | 136 | |||||
90% | 2019 | 135 | |||||
98% | 2021 | 134 | 51 | 57 | 49 | 43 | |
76% | 2021 | 133 | |||||
89% | 2019 | 132 | 76 | ||||
70% | 2015 | 131 | |||||
47% | 2022 | 130 | |||||
82% | 2022 | 129 | |||||
95% | 2021 | 128 | |||||
98% | 2021 | 127 | 53 | 54 | 58 | 53 | |
84% | 2022 | 126 | 86 | 85 | 78 | 73 | |
49% | 2022 | 125 | |||||
0% | 124 | ||||||
64% | 2015 | 123 | |||||
75% | 2020 | 122 | 84 | 80 | |||
67% | 2019 | 121 | |||||
84% | 2022 | 120 | 83 | 73 | 75 | ||
94% | 2022 | 119 | |||||
91% | 2022 | 118 | |||||
77% | 1999 | 117 | |||||
96% | 2019 | 116 | 75 | 76 | 60 | 56 | |
89% | 2015 | 115 | |||||
90% | 2021 | 114 | 41 | 36 | 33 | 32 | |
77% | 2022 | 113 | 56 | 58 | 57 | 57 | |
90% | 2020 | 112 | 82 | 74 | |||
98% | 2022 | 111 | |||||
0% | 110 | ||||||
89% | 2019 | 109 | 74 | 79 | 76 | 71 | |
100% | 2021 | 108 | |||||
94% | 2021 | 107 | 44 | 48 | 46 | 48 | |
80% | 2020 | 106 | 77 | 69 | |||
89% | 2020 | 105 | |||||
84% | 2022 | 104 | 72 | 75 | 67 | 63 | |
99% | 2019 | 103 | 61 | 66 | 56 | ||
88% | 2022 | 102 | |||||
74% | 2018 | 101 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 34 | |
0% | 100 | ||||||
99% | 2021 | 99 | 43 | 45 | 47 | 40 | |
100% | 2020 | 98 | |||||
0% | 97 | ||||||
95% | 2021 | 96 | 69 | 72 | 69 | 60 | |
94% | 2020 | 95 | |||||
0% | 94 | ||||||
96% | 2020 | 93 | |||||
0% | 92 | ||||||
94% | 2017 | 91 | 33 | 39 | 41 | 37 | |
83% | 2022 | 90 | 70 | 71 | 68 | 68 | |
95% | 2019 | 89 | 39 | 40 | 38 | 39 | |
72% | 2022 | 88 | |||||
100% | 2010 | 87 | |||||
100% | 2019 | 86 | 66 | 61 | 65 | 61 | |
81% | 2001 | 85 | |||||
75% | 2022 | 84 | 37 | 37 | 39 | 42 | |
0% | 83 | ||||||
98% | 2018 | 82 | 59 | 60 | |||
89% | 2021 | 81 | 81 | 74 | |||
99% | 2021 | 80 | |||||
0% | 79 | ||||||
92% | 2021 | 78 | |||||
94% | 2020 | 77 | 68 | 64 | 64 | 59 | |
99% | 2021 | 76 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 33 | |
99% | 2001 | 75 | |||||
96% | 2020 | 74 | 54 | 56 | 51 | 49 | |
81% | 2018 | 73 | 67 | 67 | |||
0% | 72 | ||||||
96% | 2019 | 71 | 52 | 50 | 55 | 52 | |
100% | 2022 | 70 | |||||
70% | 2020 | 69 | |||||
99% | 2019 | 68 | 57 | 68 | 63 | 58 | |
96% | 2020 | 67 | 58 | 52 | 54 | 55 | |
99% | 2022 | 66 | |||||
97% | 1980 | 65 | |||||
100% | 2019 | 64 | |||||
100% | 2022 | 63 | 80 | 84 | 72 | ||
0% | 62 | ||||||
0% | 61 | 79 | 81 | 66 | 67 | ||
98% | 2021 | 60 | |||||
0% | 59 | ||||||
97% | 2022 | 58 | 63 | 70 | 62 | 62 | |
100% | 2019 | 57 | 64 | 53 | 52 | 51 | |
71% | 2021 | 56 | |||||
95% | 2021 | 55 | |||||
94% | 2022 | 54 | 73 | 65 | 73 | 65 | |
96% | 2019 | 53 | 65 | 62 | 59 | 64 | |
99% | 2020 | 52 | |||||
96% | 2020 | 51 | |||||
99% | 2021 | 50 | |||||
99% | 2018 | 49 | |||||
100% | 2018 | 48 | |||||
98% | 2021 | 47 | |||||
99% | 2014 | 46 | |||||
98% | 2020 | 45 | 38 | 32 | 35 | 46 | |
98% | 2021 | 44 | 62 | 63 | 61 | 54 | |
100% | 2020 | 43 | 78 | 82 | 71 | 70 | |
0% | 42 | 22 | 21 | ||||
0% | 41 | 50 | 47 | 45 | 44 | ||
97% | 2022 | 40 | 49 | 51 | 48 | 35 | |
95% | 2020 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 37 | 36 | |
99% | 2018 | 38 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 29 | |
97% | 2019 | 37 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | |
99% | 2018 | 36 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | |
0% | 35 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 13 | ||
99% | 2011 | 34 | 31 | 30 | |||
98% | 2018 | 33 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 26 | |
99% | 2014 | 32 | |||||
0% | 31 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
99% | 2021 | 30 | 36 | 38 | 30 | ||
100% | 2021 | 29 | 60 | 46 | 42 | 45 | |
0% | 28 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||
0% | 27 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 14 | ||
100% | 2021 | 26 | 42 | 42 | 44 | 47 | |
100% | 2021 | 25 | 55 | 49 | 50 | 50 | |
97% | 2021 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 20 | |
100% | 2021 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 23 | |
100% | 2021 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 21 | |
92% | 1983 | 21 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | |
99% | 2020 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | |
0% | 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ||
0% | 18 | ||||||
0% | 17 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | ||
0% | 16 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||
0% | 15 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | ||
0% | 14 | ||||||
97% | 2020 | 13 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | |
0% | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
97% | 2020 | 11 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | |
0% | 10 | 21 | 20 | 20 | |||
0% | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | ||
0% | 8 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | ||
0% | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
0% | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | ||
100% | 2001 | 5 | 45 | 55 | 53 | 41 | |
0% | 4 | 18 | 16 | 18 | |||
0% | 3 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | ||
0% | 2 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | ||
0% | 1 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 22 | ||
97% | 2006 | ||||||
100% | 2000 | ||||||
99% | 2021 | ||||||
100% | 2015 | ||||||
97% | 1980 | ||||||
Total | 72.99% |
Which country ranks first in education?
Which country ranks last in education, frequently asked questions.
- Best Countries for Education - 2023 - US News
- Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - World Bank
- World Best Education Systems - Global Citizens for Human Rights
- UNESCO - Global Education Monitoring Reports
- World’s 10 Worst Countries for Education - Global Citizen
- International Education Database - World Top 20
These countries have the best education systems in the world
“The passport to your future,” “the most powerful weapon,” “the key to unlocking the world” — these are just three ways education has been described.
Everyone wants the best education and they’re willing to pay loads, spend a lot of time and even move countries to find the best education system in the world for themselves or for their children.
The search for the perfect, flawless, best education system in the world, however, is more complex than it seems.
You’re not just looking at schools and students and how well they did in exams. There are many more hidden factors that determine how well you or your child will learn.
For one, the quality of a country’s schools is closely linked to its economic status and overall well-being.
But does this mean the richest countries in the world have the best education system in the world?
That’s not quite right, either, for reasons we will outline below.
Factors such as quality of living, teacher-student ratio and availability of public resources for schools matter too. They influence some rankings of the best education system in the world.
It’s a lot and gets confusing quickly — which is why many rely on one ranking to see how smart a child in the US is doing compared to one in India: PISA scores.
Is the best education system in the world determined by PISA scores?
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests 15-year-old students in dozens of countries to apply reading, science, maths and other skills to real-life problems.
Taking place every three years, the PISA results include data on how students perform at different levels, their attitudes towards learning, their family backgrounds and other learning experiences.
Done every three years, it unearths the strengths and weaknesses of a country’s education system, which usually spurs them to take measures to improve.
While PISA scores are widely used and carry weight, there have been several criticisms and debates surrounding them. This includes:
- The narrow focus: PISA only assess students based on reading, mathematics and science, which does not capture the full range of knowledge and skills that students need
- Puts pressure on students: PISA scores are often used to compare and rank countries, which can put pressure on students, teachers and education systems
- Not all students take part in the tests, which then skews the results
The US is renowned as a country with the best education system in the world. Source: Logan Riely/AFP
10 countries with the best education system in the world
The following countries are models of the best education system in the world for the following reasons:
- It has top-ranking universities, on respected global rankings such as Times Higher Education or QS. This is a reflection of older students doing well academically.
- Its younger students are reading and counting well too, as seen from their performance on international education tests, such as but not limited to PISA
- It has graduates who have produced innovative products or services
- There is a national belief in the importance of education, which can be seen through big investments in its schools and teachers, among others.
Many believe the US, a global superpower, has the best educational system in the world. And they’re not wrong.
US universities are home to many Nobel Laureates, more than universities in any other nation. And its universities are often in the top 10 of global rankings.
Within the higher education realm, its civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s famous quote rings true: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.”
However, in the most recent PISA assessment conducted in 2018, the US’s performance in numeracy was slightly below the OECD average. OECD is a group of mostly wealthy countries.
The US currently facing low literacy rates, with almost two-thirds of its children struggling to read.
Almost 60% of students in high-poverty schools in the Boston area are at high risk for reading difficulties. This is twice the pre-pandemic rate.
These figures don’t apply across the country. Numeracy scores in the US can vary across different states and student groups due to the diversity of the education system and socioeconomic factors.
The aphorism “Education isn’t the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire” holds true in the UK, one of the best education systems in the world. Source: Oli Scarff/AFP
There’s a well-known quote about education among Brits: “Education isn’t the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”
The sparks are evident in the 2023 QS World University Rankings , where some of UK’s top universities placed in the world’s top 10:
- University of Oxford (#2)
- University of Cambridge (#4)
- Imperial College London (#6)
For all the flaws in rankings, they still represent something. And in the case of the UK, that it has world-class research — the kind that’s finding treatment for ovarian cancer , discovering the causes behind obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs), shedding light on the origins of animals , and more.
Similar to the US, the quality of its schools isn’t as stellar as its unis. In the most recent PISA assessment conducted in 2018, the UK’s performance in numeracy was around the OECD average.
In the latest PISA results in 2000, Canadian students placed sixth in reading, eighth in science and 12th in math among 78 participating countries.
Four of its universities are in the world’s top 100 (Times Higher Education):
- University of Toronto (#18)
- University of British Columbia (#40)
- McGill University (#46)
- McMaster University (#85)
Together, it’s an ecosystem that’s led to many amazing discoveries over the years. This includes:
- garbage bags
- peanut butter
According to Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s education director, Canada’s schools and universities trump others as its “big uniting theme is equity.” No one’s left behind.
Speaking to the BBC, Schleicher says there is a strong sense of fairness and equal access – and this is seen in the high academic performance of migrant children.
4. Germany
If the German proverb goes “What little Hans didn’t learn, big Hans doesn’t know” then there are many little Hans who have learned a lot — so much so that they beat the OECD average in reading (498 score points), mathematics (500) and science (503).
When they progress to universities, they can choose from eight that are in the world’s top 100:
- Technical University of Munich (#30)
- LMU Munich (#33)
- Universität Heidelberg(#43)
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (#73)
- Humboldt University of Berlin (#86)
- University of Tübingen (#86)
- University of Bonn (#89)
- Free University of Berlin (#91)
- RWTH Aachen University (#99)
Some of the greatest German inventions that changed the world include:
- diesel engine
- printing press
- helicopters
- coffee filter
Australia is at the top of the list for the best educational system in the world. Source: Marco Longari/AFP
5. Australia
Although students in Australia scored higher than the OECD average in reading (503 points) and science (503), they didn’t do that much better than the OECD average in mathematics (491).
The reason? Most students didn’t try very hard as the exams didn’t count towards their school marks.
“These results are comparable with the OECD average of 68% of students claiming they tried less on the PISA tests than they would if it counted towards their school grades,” wrote Stewart Riddle, Associate Professor at the School of Education, University of Southern Queensland, in The Conversation .
“In contrast, students in the highest-performing education systems of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang (China) reported very high levels of effort.”
Although often overshadowed by Oxbridge and the Ivy League, Australian universities are still among the world’s best.
Seven Australian universities were featured in the top 100 list of the 2022 QS rankings . Some notable institutions in the country include:
- UNSW Sydney
- University of Melbourne
- University of Sydney
Here, scientist James Harrison invented the refrigeration system, which was used to invent refrigerators.
Finland’s performance in the PISA has been widely recognised and admired. This success can be attributed to various factors, including a highly qualified teaching workforce, equitable access to education, a student-centred approach, and a strong emphasis on early childhood education.
Compared to many other countries, Finnish schools generally assign less homework to students. The aim is to provide students with sufficient time for other activities, such as play, hobbies, and spending time with family, which are considered important for their overall well-being.
According to the QS World University Rankings 2022, the top universities in Finland are:
- University of Helsinki
- Aalto University
- University of Turku
Here’s a list of things you probably didn’t know were invented in Finland:
- Nokia mobile phones
Luo Yifei, PhD student at Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) School of Materials Science and Engineering, attaching an electrode on the surface of a Venus flytrap plant at a laboratory in Singapore, as scientists develop a high-tech system for communicating with vegetation. Source: Roslan Rahman/AFP
7. Singapore
Singapore has earned a reputation for offering the best education system in the world — and you won’t need to dive deep before encountering how its founding prime minister’s views on education played a role in this.
Lee Kuan Yew, the country’s first prime minister, famously said:
- “If you want to reach your goals and dreams, you cannot do it without discipline.”
- “If there was one formula for our success, it was that we were constantly studying how to make things work, or how to make them work better.”
- “What I fear is complacency. When things always become better, people tend to want more for less work.”
Discipline, perseverance and resiliency — these values have shaped Lee’s goals “to develop Singapore’s only available natural resource, its people”.
Singapore topped the rankings in numeracy in the most recent PISA assessment conducted in 2018. Students demonstrated exceptional mathematical skills, problem-solving abilities, and a strong foundation in numeracy.
Much of this is due to public policy done right:
- Generous scholarship to enable its best and brightest to enter some of the world’s premier universities
- Teacher starting salaries are more than the national median, attracting the country’s top graduates to the profession. Teachers also get 100 hours of training a year to keep up to date with the latest techniques
- A focus on identifying and developing talented students and directing them towards public service
- Focus on bilingualism and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
- Big investments in education research. They test all reforms and monitor all outcomes before rolling them out./ among the best in the world.
Singaporean innovators have played a crucial role in developing electronic devices and household items that have become essential parts of our everyday routines.
These inventions include sustainable manufactured fish, an infrared fever screening framework, the mini-DNA sequencing machine and many more.
8. Netherlands
The education system in the Netherlands is known worldwide for being one of the best in the world. This is due to its excellent quality and many top-ranked world-class universities.
In the most recent PISA assessment conducted in 2018, the Netherlands performed above the OECD average in numeracy.
Though the Netherlands is a non-English speaking country, many universities in the country offer English-taught courses for the ease of international students who are not familiar with the country’s official language.
This, combined with the well-designed, cutting-edge facilities and curriculum these institutions offer, makes the Dutch curriculum one of the best education systems in the world.
The cost of education in the Netherlands is comparatively lower too, making it one of the cheapest European countries .
Here are inventions you probably didn’t know were invented in the Netherlands:
- cassette, CD and DVD
France is known as the city of love and one of the countries offering the best educational system in the world. Source: Jeff Pachoud/AFP
France is known for much more than the Eifel Tower, croissants and fashion. The country is known globally for having the best education system in the world.
In France, education is one of the most basic rights of its citizens. The country made it compulsory for those between the age of six to 16 to receive education .
In the most recent PISA assessment conducted in 2018, students in France scored 493 points in reading, slightly above the OECD average (487). However, their performance in numeracy was slightly below the OECD average.
Nonetheless, some of its universities are known to rival MIT (University of Paris-Saclay) and to have one of the world’s finest engineering schools (Ecole Polytechnique) in the world.
And apart from the US, France has more Fields medal-winners for maths than any other country. It’s an award given to two to four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) every four years. Think of it as the Nobel Prize of Mathematics.
Aside from its excellent education system, did you know that France is also known for the invention of hair dryers and pencil sharpeners?
Students and visitors walk around the campus of Ewha Womans University in Seoul on March 2, 2023, which was founded in 1886. Source: Anthony Wallace/AFP
10. South Korea
In South Korea, education comes first. Nine out of 10 elementary school students receive private tutoring after school, and eight out of 10 high school graduates go to college.
This is thanks to a Confucian legacy revering education — one that’s enabled it to perform very well in the PISA. Its students have achieved high rankings in PISA since their participation in the assessments began in 2000.
South Korea is also home to several prestigious universities known for their academic excellence, research output, and global reputation. Here are some of the top universities in South Korea:
- Seoul National University (SNU)
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Korea University
And there’s no need to highlight that some of the smartest TVs and smartphones were invented in South Korea.
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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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- Introduction
- Best Education
Education Rankings by Country
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.
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.
Related Rankings
Smartest states, educational attainment by state, mpre scores by state, pisa scores by country, average act score by state, dumbest states.
- 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
Rank | Country | Math | Science | Reading |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | China | 591 | 590 | 555 |
2 | Singapore | 569 | 551 | 549 |
3 | Estonia | 523 | 530 | 523 |
4 | Japan | 527 | 529 | 504 |
5 | Korea | 526 | 519 | 514 |
6 | Canada | 512 | 518 | 520 |
7 | Finland | 507 | 522 | 520 |
8 | Poland | 516 | 511 | 512 |
9 | Ireland | 500 | 496 | 518 |
10 | Slovenia | 509 | 507 | 495 |
11 | United Kingdom | 502 | 505 | 504 |
12 | New Zealand | 494 | 508 | 506 |
13 | Netherlands | 519 | 503 | 485 |
14 | Sweden | 502 | 499 | 506 |
15 | Denmark | 509 | 493 | 501 |
16 | Germany | 500 | 503 | 498 |
17 | Belgium | 508 | 499 | 493 |
18 | Australia | 491 | 503 | 503 |
19 | Switzerland | 515 | 495 | 484 |
20 | Norway | 501 | 490 | 499 |
21 | Czech Republic | 499 | 497 | 490 |
22 | United States | 478 | 502 | 505 |
23 | France | 495 | 493 | 493 |
24 | Portugal | 492 | 492 | 492 |
25 | Austria | 499 | 490 | 484 |
26 | Latvia | 496 | 487 | 479 |
27 | Russia | 488 | 478 | 479 |
28 | Iceland | 495 | 475 | 474 |
29 | Lithuania | 481 | 482 | 476 |
30 | Hungary | 481 | 481 | 476 |
31 | Spain | 481 | 483 | |
32 | Italy | 487 | 468 | 476 |
33 | Luxembourg | 483 | 477 | 470 |
34 | Belarus | 472 | 471 | 474 |
35 | Croatia | 464 | 472 | 479 |
36 | Slovakia | 486 | 464 | 458 |
37 | Israel | 463 | 462 | 470 |
38 | Turkey | 454 | 468 | 466 |
39 | Ukraine | 453 | 469 | 466 |
40 | Malta | 472 | 457 | 448 |
41 | Greece | 451 | 452 | 457 |
42 | Serbia | 448 | 440 | 439 |
43 | Cyprus | 451 | 439 | 424 |
44 | Chile | 417 | 444 | 452 |
45 | United Arab Emirates | 435 | 434 | 432 |
46 | Malaysia | 440 | 438 | 415 |
47 | Romania | 430 | 426 | 428 |
48 | Bulgaria | 436 | 424 | 420 |
49 | Moldova | 421 | 428 | 424 |
50 | Uruguay | 418 | 426 | 427 |
51 | Brunei | 430 | 431 | 408 |
52 | Montenegro | 430 | 415 | 421 |
53 | Albania | 437 | 417 | 405 |
54 | Mexico | 409 | 419 | 420 |
55 | Jordan | 400 | 429 | 419 |
56 | Costa Rica | 402 | 416 | 426 |
57 | Qatar | 414 | 419 | 407 |
58 | Thailand | 419 | 426 | 393 |
59 | Colombia | 391 | 413 | 412 |
60 | Kazakhstan | 423 | 397 | 387 |
61 | Azerbaijan | 420 | 398 | 389 |
62 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 406 | 398 | 403 |
63 | Peru | 400 | 404 | 401 |
64 | Brazil | 384 | 404 | 413 |
65 | North Macedonia | 394 | 413 | 393 |
66 | Argentina | 379 | 404 | 402 |
67 | Georgia | 398 | 383 | 380 |
68 | Saudi Arabia | 373 | 386 | 399 |
69 | Indonesia | 379 | 396 | 371 |
70 | Lebanon | 393 | 384 | 353 |
71 | Morocco | 368 | 377 | 359 |
72 | Panama | 353 | 365 | 377 |
73 | Philippines | 353 | 357 | 340 |
74 | Dominican Republic | 325 | 336 | 342 |
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