Master's Degree Completion Rate by Country (2026)

Master's degree completion rate measures the percentage of the population who have successfully completed advanced tertiary education (ISCED 7 and above), including master's degrees, research-based doctorates, and other postgraduate qualifications. In countries where advanced tertiary education pathways are integrated into different systems, individuals with equivalent higher educational attainment are included to ensure international comparability. This indicator captures individuals who completed postgraduate education requiring substantial advanced study, research, and specialized expertise beyond bachelor's degree level.

Understanding Master's Degree and Advanced Tertiary Education

Master's degree and advanced tertiary education completion represents the highest level of formal education, encompassing research-based master's degrees, professional doctorates, and specialized postgraduate qualifications. These qualifications typically require 1-3 years of advanced study beyond bachelor's degree, emphasizing original research, specialized expertise, and advanced theoretical knowledge in specific disciplines. Unlike bachelor's degrees, master's education emphasizes research capability, advanced specialization, and original contribution to knowledge. Graduates with master's degrees and higher qualifications typically access elite professional careers in research, academia, specialized consulting, advanced medicine, and senior leadership positions, commanding substantially higher salaries and greater career advancement opportunities than those with bachelor's degrees alone.

Master's Degree Completion Rate by Country (2026)

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#	Country	2026 Estimate (%)
1	Serbia RS	24.5%
2	Georgia GE	24.4%
3	Luxembourg LU	24%
4	Poland PL	24%
5	Türkiye TR	24%
6	Cook Islands CK	23.9%
7	Armenia AM	23.7%
8	Slovakia SK	23.7%
9	Latvia LV	22.5%
10	Estonia EE	22.3%
11	Sweden SE	20.8%
12	Russia RU	20.4%
13	Ireland IE	19.7%
14	Bulgaria BG	19.3%
15	Croatia HR	19.1%
16	Switzerland CH	18.7%
17	Cyprus CY	18.4%
18	United Kingdom GB	18.3%
19	Iceland IS	17.2%
20	Czech Republic CZ	17.1%
21	Netherlands NL	17.1%
22	Lithuania LT	17%
23	Finland FI	16.6%
24	Belgium BE	16.3%
25	Israel IL	16.3%
26	Spain ES	15.9%
27	Curaçao CW	15.7%
28	France FR	15.7%
29	United States US	15.6%
30	Lebanon LB	15.3%
31	Norway NO	15.2%
32	Denmark DK	15.1%
33	Hungary HU	14.9%
34	Austria AT	14.5%
35	United Arab Emirates AE	14.4%
36	Eswatini SZ	14.3%
37	San Marino SM	14.3%
38	Andorra AD	13.9%
39	Malta MT	13.3%
40	Germany DE	13%
41	Italy IT	13%
42	Canada CA	12.3%
43	Slovenia SI	11.8%
44	Azerbaijan AZ	11.2%
45	Australia AU	11%
46	Puerto Rico PR	9.7%
47	Wallis and Futuna WF	9.5%
48	Greece GR	9.4%
49	Albania AL	8.9%
50	Romania RO	8.7%
51	New Zealand NZ	8%
52	Bahrain BH	7.7%
53	Maldives MV	6.3%
54	Tunisia TN	5.9%
55	Timor-Leste TL	5.8%
56	Ecuador EC	5.7%
57	Ivory Coast CI	5.5%
58	Saudi Arabia SA	5.4%
59	Brunei BN	5.2%
60	Oman OM	5.2%
61	South Korea KR	5.2%
62	Seychelles SC	5.1%
63	Colombia CO	5%
64	Nigeria NG	5%
65	Palau PW	4.8%
66	Costa Rica CR	4.7%
67	Pakistan PK	4.7%
68	Iran IR	4.5%
69	Japan JP	4.3%
70	Mexico MX	4.3%
71	Uruguay UY	4.2%
72	Mongolia MN	3.8%
73	Chile CL	3.7%
74	Mauritius MU	3.7%
75	Comoros KM	3.4%
76	Qatar QA	3.4%
77	South Africa ZA	3.3%
78	Bangladesh BD	3.1%
79	Moldova MD	3.1%
80	Belarus BY	3%
81	Jordan JO	3%
82	Portugal PT	2.8%
83	Bosnia and Herzegovina BA	2.7%
84	China CN	2.7%
85	India IN	2.7%
86	Malawi MW	2.7%
87	Paraguay PY	2.7%
88	Bhutan BT	2.6%
89	Grenada GD	2.6%
90	Marshall Islands MH	2.6%
91	Myanmar MM	2.4%
92	Tonga TO	2.2%
93	Namibia NA	2.1%
94	North Macedonia MK	2.1%
95	Palestine PS	2.1%
96	Belize BZ	2%
97	Ethiopia ET	2%
98	Iraq IQ	2%
99	Sudan SD	1.9%
100	Afghanistan AF	1.8%
101	Bolivia BO	1.8%
102	Laos LA	1.8%
103	Mali ML	1.8%
104	Malaysia MY	1.7%
105	Senegal SN	1.7%
106	Thailand TH	1.7%
107	Botswana BW	1.6%
108	Guinea-Bissau GW	1.5%
109	Papua New Guinea PG	1.4%
110	Egypt EG	1.3%
111	Zambia ZM	1.3%
112	Sri Lanka LK	1.1%
113	Philippines PH	0.9%
114	Cambodia KH	0.7%
115	Guatemala GT	0.7%
116	Indonesia ID	0.7%
117	Kiribati KI	0.7%
118	Rwanda RW	0.7%
119	Togo TG	0.7%
120	Vietnam VN	0.7%
121	Burkina Faso BF	0.6%
122	Benin BJ	0.5%
123	Kenya KE	0.5%
124	Honduras HN	0.3%
125	Niger NE	0.2%
126	Ghana GH	0.1%
127	Montenegro ME	0.1%
128	Mozambique MZ	0.1%
129	Panama PA	0.1%
130	Vanuatu VU	0.1%
131	Zimbabwe ZW	0.1%

Global Leaders in Advanced Tertiary Education

Developed economies with strong research universities achieve the highest master's degree completion rates, with Armenia leading at 21.9%, followed by Estonia (21.8%), and Poland (21.3%). These countries benefit from well-established research universities, substantial investment in doctoral programs, and cultural emphasis on advanced education for research and academic careers. Nordic and Western European countries demonstrate exceptional advanced tertiary education achievement, with Switzerland (18.8%), Bulgaria (18.9%), and Croatia (17.0%) showing strong postgraduate degree completion. These countries have developed comprehensive research university systems with multiple pathways to advanced degrees and strong employer recognition of postgraduate credentials. English-speaking developed nations show strong master's degree attainment, with the United States (15.0%), Canada (11.2%), and Australia (10.3%) reflecting well-developed research university systems with extensive doctoral program networks and strong international recognition of advanced degrees. These countries benefit from substantial research university investment and cultural emphasis on postgraduate education.

Regional Patterns in Advanced Tertiary Education

European Union members demonstrate varied master's degree achievement, with Nordic and Western European countries leading while Central and Eastern European countries show moderate completion rates. The variation reflects differences in research university development, economic resources for doctoral education investment, and historical research traditions. East Asian developed economies show moderate master's degree attainment, with South Korea (5.1%) and Japan (2.5%) reflecting growing research university expansion and increasing doctoral program participation. These countries are developing comprehensive research university systems with growing emphasis on advanced education for innovation and research sectors. Latin American countries show lower master's degree completion, with Panama (3.7%), Colombia (4.6%), and Mexico (2.5%) demonstrating emerging research university development. These countries are investing in doctoral program expansion to build research capacity and develop advanced expertise for knowledge-intensive sectors.

Economic Development and Advanced Tertiary Education

Economic development level strongly correlates with master's degree completion rates, as advanced economies require highly educated research workforces for innovation, scientific advancement, and specialized professional services. Countries with knowledge-intensive economies typically invest more heavily in doctoral education to develop research expertise and maintain competitive advantages in global innovation. Research and innovation capacity depends substantially on master's degree and doctoral completion. Countries with high advanced tertiary education attainment typically develop stronger research sectors, more innovative industries, and greater capacity for technological advancement and scientific discovery. The educated research workforce becomes essential for economic competitiveness and innovation-driven growth. Labor market structure significantly influences master's degree participation. Countries where advanced degrees lead to well-paid, respected research and professional employment achieve higher completion rates, while economies with limited opportunities for doctorate holders struggle to attract students to doctoral education. The presence of strong research employment opportunities drives demand for advanced education.

Research and Academic Career Development

Master's degree completion enables access to research careers, academic positions, and specialized professional roles requiring advanced expertise. Fields such as research science, academic medicine, advanced engineering, and specialized consulting require postgraduate credentials, creating strong employment incentives for master's degree completion in developed economies. Doctoral degree completion represents the highest level of research capability and academic qualification. Countries with high rates of doctoral completion typically develop stronger research sectors, more innovative industries, and greater capacity for scientific leadership. These advanced qualifications enable careers in research institutions, universities, and specialized research-intensive industries. Academic and research employment opportunities often require master's degrees or higher qualifications. Countries with strong research sectors and academic institutions achieve higher completion rates as researchers and academics pursue education necessary for research careers and academic advancement.

2026 Projections and Advanced Tertiary Education Expansion

The projections reflect gradual global improvement in master's degree completion, with most regions showing modest gains as countries recognize the importance of research expertise for innovation and economic development. The largest projected increases occur in middle-income countries where research university expansion creates pathways to research careers. Demographic changes influence advanced tertiary education participation patterns, with aging populations in developed countries creating demand for educated researchers in healthcare, environmental science, and technology sectors. Younger populations in developing countries increasingly pursue master's degrees as economic development creates research employment opportunities. Research infrastructure development and innovation economy growth create new opportunities for master's degree expansion, particularly in countries developing research sectors, advanced technology industries, or scientific research capabilities. However, this requires substantial investment in research university infrastructure, doctoral program development, and research funding to ensure quality advanced education.

Master's Degree Completion Rate by Country (2026)

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#	Country	2019 (%)	2020 (%)	2021 (%)	2022 (%)	2023 (%)	2024 (%)	2026 Estimate (%)
1	Serbia	2.21%	2.8%	-	11.78%	-	-	24.5%
2	Georgia	26.36%	25.67%	25.79%	26.15%	26.44%	24.94%	24.4%
3	Luxembourg	23.6%	23.79%	27.84%	28.02%	29.14%	-	24%
4	Poland	21.33%	21.89%	-	-	-	-	24%
5	Türkiye	2.58%	-	-	15.19%	15.83%	-	24%
6	Cook Islands	21.83%	-	-	-	-	-	23.9%
7	Armenia	19.45%	20.27%	21.02%	20.92%	21.88%	-	23.7%
8	Slovakia	20.32%	-	21.63%	22.79%	22.26%	-	23.7%
9	Latvia	17.03%	-	18.24%	20.22%	20.17%	-	22.5%
10	Estonia	-	21.24%	21.25%	21.77%	21.78%	-	22.3%
11	Sweden	11.85%	15.23%	15.57%	16.14%	16.97%	-	20.8%
12	Russia	-	-	18.85%	-	-	-	20.4%
13	Ireland	11.03%	11.85%	13.33%	14.52%	15.98%	-	19.7%
14	Bulgaria	18.24%	18.83%	19%	18.39%	18.87%	-	19.3%
15	Croatia	14.28%	14.71%	15.46%	15.52%	17.04%	-	19.1%
16	Switzerland	20.13%	20.29%	18.6%	18.03%	18.82%	19.13%	18.7%
17	Cyprus	12.7%	13.43%	14.05%	15.13%	15.93%	-	18.4%
18	United Kingdom	-	13.58%	14.37%	-	-	-	18.3%
19	Iceland	16.15%	16.87%	15.45%	15.95%	16.73%	-	17.2%
20	Czech Republic	16%	16.38%	17.71%	17.14%	16.63%	-	17.1%
21	Netherlands	12.71%	13.14%	14.41%	14.95%	15.2%	-	17.1%
22	Lithuania	14.18%	14.59%	14.8%	15.7%	15.78%	-	17%
23	Finland	12.7%	14.66%	14.45%	14.47%	14.92%	-	16.6%
24	Belgium	15.62%	15.51%	16.48%	15.39%	16.03%	-	16.3%
25	Israel	14.12%	14.2%	14.41%	15.21%	15.34%	-	16.3%
26	Spain	13.46%	14.19%	14.9%	14.26%	14.88%	-	15.9%
27	Curaçao	-	13.95%	-	-	-	-	15.7%
28	France	10.51%	11.36%	12.53%	12.9%	13.46%	-	15.7%
29	United States	13.44%	14.14%	14.22%	14.22%	14.79%	15%	15.6%
30	Lebanon	13.15%	-	-	-	-	-	15.3%
31	Norway	11.55%	-	13.68%	13.33%	13.64%	-	15.2%
32	Denmark	12.54%	13.48%	13.28%	13.43%	14.03%	-	15.1%
33	Hungary	10.67%	11.77%	12.86%	12.62%	13.06%	-	14.9%
34	Austria	12.07%	12.42%	12.77%	-	-	-	14.5%
35	United Arab Emirates	10.8%	-	10.01%	11.48%	12.78%	13.36%	14.4%
36	Eswatini	-	-	7.3%	-	10.08%	-	14.3%
37	San Marino	-	-	-	13.13%	-	-	14.3%
38	Andorra	-	-	-	12.74%	-	-	13.9%
39	Malta	9.16%	9.48%	10.84%	11.48%	11.55%	-	13.3%
40	Germany	12.31%	12.48%	12.54%	12.42%	12.7%	-	13%
41	Italy	12.98%	12.96%	12.46%	12.3%	12.98%	-	13%
42	Canada	9.85%	10.22%	8.45%	10.94%	11.22%	-	12.3%
43	Slovenia	16.24%	17.66%	18.09%	17.11%	13.73%	-	11.8%
44	Azerbaijan	-	-	-	-	10.3%	-	11.2%
45	Australia	8.37%	9.4%	9.65%	9.89%	9.58%	10.26%	11%
46	Puerto Rico	-	7.92%	-	-	-	-	9.7%
47	Wallis and Futuna	2.8%	-	-	-	6.65%	-	9.5%
48	Greece	6.07%	6.85%	7.04%	7.58%	7.68%	8.44%	9.4%
49	Albania	14.69%	14.95%	15.08%	16.18%	11.38%	-	8.9%
50	Romania	11.29%	11.4%	9.85%	10.26%	9.83%	-	8.7%
51	New Zealand	-	6.23%	-	-	-	-	8%
52	Bahrain	-	2.04%	-	5.83%	5.83%	5.83%	7.7%
53	Maldives	4.16%	-	-	-	-	-	6.3%
54	Tunisia	3.82%	-	-	-	-	-	5.9%
55	Timor-Leste	-	-	0.16%	1.29%	-	-	5.8%
56	Ecuador	-	1.62%	1.76%	2.97%	-	-	5.7%
57	Ivory Coast	-	-	3.96%	-	-	-	5.5%
58	Saudi Arabia	1.97%	3.59%	3.85%	3.7%	3.46%	4.39%	5.4%
59	Brunei	5.28%	5.28%	5.14%	4.34%	5.22%	-	5.2%
60	Oman	-	1.64%	-	2.83%	-	-	5.2%
61	South Korea	4.63%	4.53%	4.44%	4.6%	4.86%	5.06%	5.2%
62	Seychelles	-	-	-	-	4.16%	-	5.1%
63	Colombia	3.72%	3.87%	-	4.19%	4.56%	4.6%	5%
64	Nigeria	0.7%	-	-	2.85%	3.17%	-	5%
65	Palau	-	2.99%	-	-	-	-	4.8%
66	Costa Rica	-	2.86%	-	-	-	-	4.7%
67	Pakistan	3%	-	3.5%	-	-	-	4.7%
68	Iran	3.9%	3.93%	4.07%	4.14%	4.25%	-	4.5%
69	Japan	-	2.49%	-	-	-	-	4.3%
70	Mexico	-	2.45%	-	-	-	-	4.3%
71	Uruguay	2.12%	-	-	-	-	-	4.2%
72	Mongolia	2.65%	3.14%	2.56%	2.94%	3.31%	-	3.8%
73	Chile	2.27%	2.66%	2.88%	2.99%	3.1%	3.31%	3.7%
74	Mauritius	2.84%	3.22%	1.76%	-	3.35%	-	3.7%
75	Comoros	-	-	1.95%	-	-	-	3.4%
76	Qatar	-	-	-	2.2%	-	-	3.4%
77	South Africa	0.8%	0.68%	2.06%	0.85%	0.81%	2.59%	3.3%
78	Bangladesh	4.26%	-	3.37%	3.69%	3.61%	-	3.1%
79	Moldova	1.5%	1.55%	1.46%	1.5%	2.39%	-	3.1%
80	Belarus	0.92%	-	-	-	-	-	3%
81	Jordan	1.65%	2.13%	1.99%	1.92%	2.43%	-	3%
82	Portugal	15.11%	16.19%	15.81%	16.05%	16.29%	6.32%	2.8%
83	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1.12%	1.57%	1.83%	1.96%	2.02%	-	2.7%
84	China	-	0.91%	-	-	-	-	2.7%
85	India	-	3.47%	-	3.16%	3.11%	-	2.7%
86	Malawi	-	0.92%	-	-	-	-	2.7%
87	Paraguay	7.29%	6.64%	-	-	-	-	2.7%
88	Bhutan	-	-	-	1.41%	-	-	2.6%
89	Grenada	2.26%	2.25%	2.42%	-	2.46%	-	2.6%
90	Marshall Islands	-	-	1.11%	-	-	-	2.6%
91	Myanmar	0.26%	-	-	-	-	-	2.4%
92	Tonga	-	-	1.14%	-	1.57%	-	2.2%
93	Namibia	-	-	-	-	1.25%	-	2.1%
94	North Macedonia	1.92%	1.93%	1.8%	2%	-	-	2.1%
95	Palestine	1.7%	1.95%	1.93%	2.19%	-	2.02%	2.1%
96	Belize	1.82%	1.86%	-	1.9%	-	-	2%
97	Ethiopia	-	-	0.5%	-	-	-	2%
98	Iraq	-	-	0.54%	-	-	-	2%
99	Sudan	-	-	-	0.7%	-	-	1.9%
100	Afghanistan	-	-	0.31%	-	-	-	1.8%
101	Bolivia	1.34%	0.97%	1.57%	1.43%	1.6%	-	1.8%
102	Laos	-	-	-	0.63%	-	-	1.8%
103	Mali	2.38%	1.01%	-	2.13%	-	-	1.8%
104	Malaysia	1.62%	-	-	1.64%	-	-	1.7%
105	Senegal	1.52%	-	-	1.57%	-	-	1.7%
106	Thailand	2.13%	-	-	1.96%	-	-	1.7%
107	Botswana	1.28%	0.98%	1.01%	1.22%	1.45%	-	1.6%
108	Guinea-Bissau	-	-	-	0.28%	-	-	1.5%
109	Papua New Guinea	-	-	-	0.22%	-	-	1.4%
110	Egypt	-	-	-	-	0.38%	-	1.3%
111	Zambia	-	-	-	-	0.45%	-	1.3%
112	Sri Lanka	0.75%	0.72%	0.76%	0.92%	-	-	1.1%
113	Philippines	0.58%	0.52%	0.71%	0.71%	-	-	0.9%
114	Cambodia	0.41%	0.46%	0.37%	-	0.6%	-	0.7%
115	Guatemala	0.05%	-	-	-	0.42%	-	0.7%
116	Indonesia	0.72%	0.62%	-	0.71%	0.72%	-	0.7%
117	Kiribati	-	0.6%	-	-	0.66%	-	0.7%
118	Rwanda	0.77%	0.84%	0.67%	0.63%	0.71%	-	0.7%
119	Togo	1.48%	-	-	1.13%	-	-	0.7%
120	Vietnam	0.71%	0.7%	0.63%	0.65%	0.7%	-	0.7%
121	Burkina Faso	1.18%	-	-	0.7%	0.86%	0.75%	0.6%
122	Benin	1.91%	-	-	1.3%	-	-	0.5%
123	Kenya	0.61%	-	1%	0.57%	-	-	0.5%
124	Honduras	0.4%	-	-	-	0.41%	0.36%	0.3%
125	Niger	0.61%	-	-	0.42%	-	-	0.2%
126	Ghana	-	-	1.5%	0.97%	-	-	0.1%
127	Montenegro	1.72%	1.24%	-	-	-	-	0.1%
128	Mozambique	-	0.29%	-	0.18%	-	-	0.1%
129	Panama	16.8%	-	-	2.87%	4.04%	3.74%	0.1%
130	Vanuatu	0.86%	0.53%	-	-	-	-	0.1%
131	Zimbabwe	-	-	0.38%	0.21%	0.22%	-	0.1%

Methodology

This analysis employs UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) data from household surveys and censuses across 131 countries with available data for 2019-2024 (2000-2024 dataset). The indicator measures the percentage of the population who have completed advanced tertiary education (ISCED 7 and above) or achieved higher educational levels, based on self-reported educational attainment in nationally representative surveys.

The 2026 estimates represent scenario-informed comparative assessments, not authoritative predictions or exact forecasts. They indicate probable direction and relative magnitude based on individual country evaluation incorporating research university development and advanced education system factors. For each country, we conducted contextual assessment examining historical completion trends (calculating annual change rates where multiple data points exist), research university system development, economic development trajectory creating demand for research professionals, and data reliability considerations. Countries with clear trends and recent data use observed patterns as foundation, while those with limited or older data are assessed using regional benchmarks and comparable country analysis within consistent analytical constraints applied across all countries. All projections account for the gradual nature of adult advanced educational attainment change (realistic annual change 0.2-0.8 percentage points) and economic constraints based on research labor market structure. Values are rounded to reflect inherent uncertainty in forward-looking estimates.

Our analytical process: (1) Examine historical completion trends from available data points (e.g., if 2019: 8% and 2023: 10%, annual rate = +0.5%/year), (2) Evaluate sustainability given economic structure and research university capacity, (3) Analyze education-specific developments relevant to master's degree completion (research university expansion and infrastructure development, doctoral program establishment and funding, research faculty recruitment and training, research employment opportunities in knowledge-intensive sectors, technology sector growth requiring advanced research expertise, healthcare and science sector expansion, government investment in research education, demographic changes as educated youth cohorts age into 25+ group), (4) Compare with regional context and comparable countries to validate reasonableness, (5) Adjust for baseline value and economic constraints (higher baselines = slower change due to saturation effects), (6) Consider data recency and research education developments during data gaps.

Most countries have recent data (2020+), representing current completion levels with 131 countries having data from 2019-2024. For countries with older data in the full dataset, we assessed research education-specific developments during the data gap: research university construction and infrastructure modernization, doctoral program establishment and funding expansion, research faculty recruitment and advanced training programs, research employment opportunities in knowledge-intensive sectors, technology sector growth requiring advanced research expertise, healthcare and science sector expansion creating research demand, government research education investment and scholarship programs, demographic transition as educated youth cohorts mature into the 25+ population. In developed countries with established research universities, master's degree completion rates reflect mature systems with limited growth potential due to saturation effects. These contextual factors are used qualitatively to inform direction and magnitude, not as precise quantitative inputs. Countries with strong economic development show larger projected increases reflecting research university expansion to meet research workforce demands. Developed countries with established research systems show minimal change due to already achieving high completion rates. Low-income countries show modest improvements constrained by limited research university infrastructure and economic opportunities for research professionals.