Türkiye surpasses OECD average in university graduation rates

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has outpaced the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) average in university graduation rates, according to a 2025 report, even as education spending per student remains below the organization’s benchmark.

In Türkiye, 86 percent of students who enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program successfully graduated, compared with the OECD average of 70 percent, according to the report of “Education at a Glance 2025.”

The report highlights Türkiye’s progress in expanding access to education and engaging its young population, noting increasing preschool enrollment, a low dropout rate and growing interest from international students.

However, it also underlines the limited progress in postgraduate education and relatively low public spending on education.

At the master’s level, only 3 percent of 25-34 year-olds in Türkiye hold a degree, far below the OECD average of 16 percent.

Public expenditure on education in Türkiye accounted for 3.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), compared with an OECD average of 4.7 percent.

Per-student spending also lagged behind.

In early childhood education, the number of enrolled children grew in a significant portion between 2015 and 2022, yet per-child spending fell by 21 percent. Across OECD countries, spending rose by 24 percent in the same period.

Over the past decade, preschool enrollment for children aged 3–5 in Türkiye increased by 26 percent, one of the sharpest rises among OECD members.

Enrollment among 15–19 year-olds also rose, bringing Türkiye close to the OECD average of 84 percent and on par with countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.