Full List: Top 10 African countries with the highest tertiary enrolment rates

• Algeria has the highest tertiary gross enrolment rate in Africa at 54.4%, followed by Morocco (48.2%) and Mauritius (45.8%).

• Tunisia (38.1%) and Egypt (38.0%) complete the top five, while Namibia, Cabo Verde, South Africa and Botswana also record rates above 20%.

• Ghana ranks 10th with a tertiary gross enrolment rate of 21.3%, based on the latest available data. The figures are from UNESCO/World Bank data, with different reference years depending on the country.

Based on the latest available figures for each country, Algeria records the highest tertiary gross enrolment ratio among the African countries in this list at 54.4%, followed by Morocco at 48.2% and Mauritius at 45.8%.

The figures come from data sourced from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and published through the World Bank's education indicators. Because countries report data for different years, the ranking uses each country's latest available figure rather than forcing all countries into the same reference year.

Here are the 10 countries and their latest available figures:

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Algeria records a tertiary gross enrolment ratio of 54.4%, based on data.

The figure means the number of students enrolled in tertiary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the population in the official age group corresponding to tertiary education. Because it is a gross ratio, the percentage can exceed 100% in some countries.

Morocco follows with a tertiary enrolment ratio of 48.2%.

The World Bank's education database identifies UNESCO UIS as the source for the tertiary enrolment indicator.

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Mauritius has a tertiary gross enrolment ratio of 45.8%.

The island nation has consistently recorded relatively high tertiary enrolment compared with many other African countries. UNESCO's earlier continental education data also showed Mauritius among the countries with comparatively high tertiary participation.

Tunisia records a tertiary enrolment ratio of 38.1%, with the latest figure in the dataset coming from 2023.

Earlier UNESCO data also placed Tunisia among Africa's higher tertiary-enrolment countries, although its rate has changed over time.

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Egypt has a tertiary gross enrolment ratio of 38.0%.

UNESCO's continental education data has similarly shown Egypt recording tertiary enrolment levels well above the sub-Saharan African average.

Namibia records 26.1% for tertiary gross enrolment, based on its latest available figure in the dataset.

UNESCO's previous continental assessment also showed Namibia's tertiary enrolment increasing during the period covered.

Cabo Verde records a tertiary enrolment ratio of 24.3%.

The country has maintained one of the higher tertiary participation rates among African countries, with UNESCO data previously recording figures around the mid-20% range.

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South Africa's latest figure is 23.5%

UNESCO's continental education data has previously placed South Africa in the same broad group of African countries with relatively higher tertiary enrolment.

Botswana records a tertiary gross enrolment ratio of 21.4%.

Earlier UNESCO data showed Botswana's tertiary enrolment fluctuating around the mid-20% range during the 2015–2020 period.

Ghana rounds out the top 10 with a tertiary gross enrolment ratio of 21.3%.

The figure places Ghana among the African countries with the higher reported levels of tertiary enrolment in the latest available dataset. UNESCO's earlier data showed Ghana's ratio rising from about 16% in 2015 to 19% in 2020.

It is important to distinguish tertiary gross enrolment from the percentage of a country's population that has completed university.

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According to the UNESCO definition, the gross enrolment ratio measures total enrolment in tertiary education, regardless of age, as a percentage of the population in the five-year age group immediately following secondary education. It can therefore include students who are older or younger than the official age group.

The figures also should not be interpreted as meaning that 54.4% of Algerians, for example, have university degrees. Rather, they measure the relationship between tertiary enrolment and the population in the relevant age group.