International Standard Classification of Education

 The duration of each level of education can vary greatly across countries. These differences can lead to problems when attempting to compare statistics across countries. The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is the official framework used to facilitate international comparisons of education systems. It was developed in 1976 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and was revised in 1997 and 2011. EdStats uses indicators based on the ISCED 2011 classifications listed below:

• ISCED 0 = Early childhood education

• ISCED 1 = Primary Education

• ISCED 2 = Lower Secondary Education

• ISCED 3 = Upper Secondary Education

• ISCED 4 = Post-secondary non-Tertiary Education

• ISCED 5 = Short-cycle tertiary education

• ISCED 6 = Bachelors degree or equivalent tertiary education level

• ISCED 7 = Masters degree or equivalent tertiary education level

• ISCED 8 = Doctoral degree or equivalent tertiary education level

For more information on the ISCED and for country ISCED mappings, consult the UNESCO Institute for Statistics ISCED page.