Indicator 5: University Enrollment
The percentage of students in different age groups (18-21, 22-25, and 26-29) who are enrolled in any type of university or 4-year college (including undergraduate and graduate education) reflects the availability of university education and the extent to which that education provides necessary training for different occupations. A high rate of university enrollment in a country suggests that university education is highly valued and widely available. Enrollment rates may be low in another country, if admission to universities is restricted or if university education is not vital to employment and success in a large number of occupations.
Sidebar: Differences in programs offered across education levels
- In the G-7 countries for which data were available, the United States, Canada, and France had the highest enrollment rates for 18- to 21-year-olds in 1992. Furthermore, the rates in the United States and Canada were higher than all other countries with data available.
- Even though the former West Germany had the lowest full-time enrollment rate for 18- to 21-year-olds among this set of G-7 countries, it had the highest rate for 22- to 25-year-olds and 26- to 29-year-olds.
Table 5: Percentage of young adults enrolled1 in public and private university higher education, by age group and country: 1992
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Age
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Country 18-21 22-25 26-29
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G-72
Canada 23.9 13.9 5.6
France 20.2 11.6 3.8
West Germany (former) 7.4 15.2 9.6
United Kingdom 14.2 4.7 1.8
United States 25.0 12.1 5.4
Other
Australia 18.8 6.2 5.4
Austria 13.1 15.4 9.0
Belgium 16.9 7.1 1.5
Denmark 7.8 17.2 8.7
Finland 10.3 16.6 8.7
Greece 15.6 1.6 0.3
Hungary 6.0 5.0 1.6
Netherlands 20.1 15.9 4.8
New Zealand 18.8 7.8 3.6
Norway 8.4 15.3 6.5
Poland 8.1 12.1 -
Spain 22.5 14.9 5.4
Sweden 4.3 8.1 3.8
Switzerland 4.8 7.8 4.0
Turkey 7.0 4.9 2.3
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-Not available.
1/ Head counts.
2/ No data available for Italy and Japan.
NOTE: See supplemental note to Indicator 5 for details on indicator calculation for Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, and Poland and for information on the calculation of enrollment rates.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995.
Figure 5: Percentage enrolled in university education, by age group and G-7 country:1,2 1992
1/ No data available for Italy and Japan.
2/ Countries are sorted in descending order by the percentage of 18- to 21-year-olds enrolled in university education.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995.
See Supplemental Notes on Figure and Tables
[Indicator 4]
[Indicator 6]