Participation in tertiary education
The number of people enrolling in tertiary education across the EU has risen in recent decades, reflecting several factors, such as
- demographic patterns
- changes in labour force participation (particularly for women)
- increased demand from employers for tertiary education qualifications (for jobs that previously required a secondary level of education)
- an increased awareness of the benefits of tertiary education
- access to student finance, scholarships and other benefits
- different patterns of learning mobility (within and from outside of the EU)
- an increased demand for longer tertiary education (such as the extension from a bachelor’s degree to master’s or doctoral (PhD) studies)
- an increasing share of adults participating in lifelong learning.
Map 1: Participation rates in early childhood education
(by NUTS 2 regions, 2023)
Source: Eurostat (educ_uoe_enra22)
Participation in tertiary education
The number of people enrolling in tertiary education across the EU has risen in recent decades, reflecting several factors, such as
- demographic patterns
- changes in labour force participation (particularly for women)
- increased demand from employers for tertiary education qualifications (for jobs that previously required a secondary level of education)
- an increased awareness of the benefits of tertiary education
- access to student finance, scholarships and other benefits
- different patterns of learning mobility (within and from outside of the EU)
- an increased demand for longer tertiary education (such as the extension from a bachelor’s degree to master’s or doctoral (PhD) studies)
- an increasing share of adults participating in lifelong learning.