North America: School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, North America's school enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) fell 3.78 percentage points on 2023 (from 97.19% to 93.41%).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was +0.74 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.44 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.8 percentage points in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 6.26 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.66 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 50% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Tertiary education, whether or not to an advanced research qualification, normally requires, as a minimum condition of admission, the successful completion of education at the secondary level.

Limitations: Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, the length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 26 values

School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 5.94% (2020)
• Algeria — 66.09% (2024)
• Bahrain — 79.94% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 38.62% (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 59.13% (2022)
• Israel — 66.46% (2024)
• Jordan — 43.61% (2024)
• Kuwait — 65.94% (2021)
• Lebanon — 57.14% (2019)
• Malta — 101.42% (2023)

More education data for North America

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 26.2 million (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 28.14 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 1.89 million (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 70.3% (2020)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 51.24% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.98 (2020)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 27.5 million (2018)
• Secondary education, vocational pupils

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is North America's school enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross)?

93.41% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1999?

It is up 14.08 percentage points from 79.33% in 1999. The highest value was 101.38% in 2020 and the lowest 76.43% in 2000.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) unusual for North America?

In 2024, North America's school enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) fell 3.78 percentage points on 2023 (from 97.19% to 93.41%). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was +0.74 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.44 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.TER.ENRR.FE, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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