11 most educated countries in the world - is Singapore one of them?

Have you ever wondered who the most educated countries in the world are? We think it’s a pretty interesting line-up.

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Coming from a country like Singapore, we’re all more than a little familiar with the importance of a good education. We’re taught since we were young that we need to study hard, do well and get a good job. It’s probably something many of you even tell your children as well!

A non-profit foundation, The World Economic Forum (WEF), has scoped out the most educated countries in the world. According to The Business Insider, this was done as part of their Global Competitiveness Report.

WEF created the index and came up with the list based on several factors such as the enrollment rate for secondary and tertiary education. This is essentially the number of people that attended a university or have the equivalent of a university education.

Additionally, business leaders from each country were asked a series of questions which helped determine the list. One of the questions asked were, ‘In your country, how well does the education system meet the needs of a competitive economy?’.

Countries score between 1 to 7 - 1 being the lowest and the least competitive and 7 being the highest and most competitive.

11. Iceland

Score: 5.9 / 7

Despite spending the least of the Nordic states on education, Iceland’s schools are primarily funded by the state. School in Iceland is compulsory for children aged 6 to 16. There are four levels of education. These are pre-school and compulsory school, which is then followed by lower and upper secondary school.

10. New Zealand

Score: 5.9 / 7

New Zealand possesses an innovative education system and has recently proposed the introduction of online courses. This will allow students to study from home on certain days of the week! New Zealand also provides free education between the ages 5 to 19 should students be citizens or permanent residents.

9. Australia

Score: 5.9 / 7

Education is important to Australians with 43% of adults training in an institution after leaving school. With an array of options for tertiary education such as Technical And Further Education Colleges (TAFE), it’s no surprise that many go on to further their studies.

8. United States

Score: 5.9 / 7

Similar to Australia, in the United States, 43% of adults hold a degree or certification of university level education. The US aims to provide students with a variety of types of institutions and in doing so, provide more students with a topic of interest to study.

7. Norway

Score: 5.9 / 7

With high taxation levels, more funds can be and are invested in education. Therefore, it is no shock that Norway has appeared on this list. Over SGD$18,000 is devoted annually per pupil all the way from primary to tertiary education!

6. Denmark

Score: 5.9 / 7

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has stated that Denmark is the country that spent the largest share of its wealth on education. As with many other countries on this list, education in Denmark is compulsory below the age of 15.

5. Belgium

Score: 6.0 / 7

Teaching in Belgium is a career path that pays well! An average teacher’s salary would bring home over SGD$96, 000 annually! There are 6 different universities in Belgium and they offer a full range of subject to their students.

4. Switzerland

Score: 6.1 / 7

In Switzerland, 86% of those between the ages of 25 and 64 have attained a full secondary education. Local schools in the country are of high standard and good quality, not to mention, they’re free too!

3. Netherlands

Score: 6.1 / 7

The OECD states that on average worldwide, 24% of adults hold a university degree. In the Netherlands, however, a third of the country have a degree, this exceeds the OECD average! There are two types of institutions that students can choose from - either universities of applied science or research universities.

2. Finland

Score: 6.2 / 7

Finland promises their students only the best standard of education. Teachers in the country are selected from the top 10% of graduates and are required to hold a master’s degree in education. The Guardian has also named Finland the most literate nation in the world.

1. Singapore

Score: 6.3 / 7

Would you have guessed that our very own, Singapore, would rank number 1 on this list? Our education system ranks the best in the world. However, we know from personal experience that this also means that the stress and pressure levels on students run extremely high.