United States
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United States
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
  • The United States spends heavily on education, investing USD 20,387 per student from primary to tertiary levels, above the OECD average of USD 15,022, with education accounting for 5.8% of GDP compared to 4.7% across the OECD.
  • Tuition fees in the United States are the highest in the OECD, averaging USD 9,596 per year in public institutions and USD 34,041 in private ones. To cover these costs, 82% of students receive aid through grants, scholarships, or loans.
  • A high school degree provides little earnings advantage in the United States, as young adults with or without it earn the same. By contrast, 25–34 year-olds with a bachelor’s degree earn 57% more than peers without tertiary education.
  • Teachers in the United States earn the lowest relative salaries in the OECD, making less than 60% of the average salary of similarly educated workers. This is far below the levels observed in other OECD countries.
  • Pre-primary enrolment in the United States is among the lowest in the OECD, with only 65% of 3–5 year-olds enrolled in 2022. This rate has remained unchanged since 2013 and is about 20 percentage points below the OECD average.
  • Public education dominates the U.S. system, as fewer than 10% of students attend private institutions at primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels. These figures are below OECD averages of 14.5%, 17.6%, and 22.7% respectively.
    • | Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | Department of Education | National Center for Education Statistics |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Entrance

    The average age of new entrants in tertiary education in United States is comparatively young. (19.2 Years, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the share of first-time entrants in bachelor's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (53.4 %, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The share of female students in upper secondary general programmes placed United States among the smallest across countries. (47.4 %, rank 47/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary vocational programmes are proportionally more in United States than in the other countries. (100 %, rank 1/22 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of short-cycle tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes is comparativele high. (3 %, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary general programmes in United States is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (55.7 %, rank 2/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in short-cycle tertiary programmes in United States is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.2 %, rank 4/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    In United States, the share of female first-time graduates in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (62.1 %, rank 5/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.1 %, rank 3/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.5 %, rank 41/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.3 %, rank 3/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.3 %, rank 43/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 1/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In United States, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (4 %, rank 4/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In United States, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 2/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in the humanities and arts is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries. (16.6 %, rank 5/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in social sciences, business and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (15.7 %, rank 41/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the proportion of male tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively large. (15.4 %, rank 2/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    The share of worldwide foreign and international students is one of the large among OECD and partner countries with available data. (17.1 %, rank 2/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of international students entering tertiary education in United States is relatively low. (2.8 %, rank 29/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, international or foreign students from Asia are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (75.4 %, rank 5/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, international or foreign students from Oceania are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.7 %, rank 4/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.54 Ratio, rank 18/18 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.54 Ratio, rank 19/19 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.56 Ratio, rank 19/19 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.57 Ratio, rank 20/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual pre-primary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (66325 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (75635 USD Equivalent, rank 4/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.76 Ratio, rank 26/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary male teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year men workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.58 Ratio, rank 25/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.7 Ratio, rank 25/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 35-44 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.63 Ratio, rank 25/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 45-54 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.64 Ratio, rank 26/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 55-64 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.66 Ratio, rank 24/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    United States had some of the highest actual salaries for junior academic staff in bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent programmes, in public institutions. (78740 USD Equivalent, rank 3/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the actual salaries of intermediate academic staff in public tertiary programmes were among the highest. (95934 USD Equivalent, rank 2/16 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, actual salaries of senior academic staff in bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent programmes were among the highest across countries. (135344 USD Equivalent, rank 4/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Actual salaries for all academic staff in public institutions placed United States among the countries with the highest values. (97716 USD Equivalent, rank 4/16 , 2023) Download Indicator

    For other academic staff not on an academic career track, actual salaries in United States were among the highest across countries with available data. (68683 USD Equivalent, rank 3/10 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    Pre-primary 25-64 year-old school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.84 Ratio, rank 17/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Primary school 25-64 year-old heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.85 Ratio, rank 18/18 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Lower-secondary 25-64 year-old school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.88 Ratio, rank 17/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Upper-secondary 25-64 year-old school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in United States. (0.9 Ratio, rank 17/18 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old primary school heads is one of the highest in United States. (117560 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    In United States, the number of students per teacher in all public secondary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.7 Ratio, rank 4/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the number of students per teacher in private institutions tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.1 Ratio, rank 32/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the number of students per teacher in independent private institutions tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.1 Ratio, rank 20/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    The total compulsory instruction time for primary students in United States is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5847 Hours, rank 5/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively small in United States. (15 Students, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In independent private institutions at lower secondary level, classes are one of the smallest in United States among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15 Students, rank 16/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a bachelor's or equivalent education are comparatively high. (169 %, rank 5/25 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the relative earnings of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor’s or equivalent attainment ranked among the strongest internationally. (157 Index, rank 3/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers without an upper secondary education earning at or below half the overall median in United States is one of the highest among countries with available data. (42 Index, rank 5/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education earning at or below half the overall median in United States is one of the highest among countries with available data. (25 Index, rank 2/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high in United States. (208 Index, rank 4/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high in United States. (217 Index, rank 5/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the distribution of worker earning more than 1.5 times the median but at or below twice the median among those with below upper secondary education is comparatively low . (2 Index, rank 23/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the distribution of worker earning more than the median but at or below 1.5 times the median among those with below upper secondary education is comparatively low . (11 Index, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In United States, the distribution of worker earning more than the median but at or below 1.5 times the median among those with with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (19 Index, rank 27/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (79.8 %, rank 25/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (57 %, rank 23/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (85.5 %, rank 5/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings by field of education

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in United States who studied in the field of education, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (65.4 %, rank 14/14 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in United States who studied in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (122.3 %, rank 1/14 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in United States who studied in the field of health and welfare, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (84.9 %, rank 13/14 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in United States who studied in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (117.5 %, rank 4/14 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in United States who studied in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (117.4 %, rank 3/14 , 2023) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
    • Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
    • Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
    • Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
    • Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
    • Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation  | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
    • NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
    • Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
    • Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
    • Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
    • The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
    • Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
    • Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
    • Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
    • Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
    • Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
    • Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
    • Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
    • The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
    • Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
    • The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - United States
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
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            Country Reviews for United States
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.