Tertiary education

Harvard University, founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1636, is the oldest higher education institution in the United States and routinely ranked as one of the best universities in the world.
Students attend a linear algebra lecture at a tertiary institution: Helsinki University of Technology.

Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including universities as well as trade schools and colleges.[1] Higher education is taken to include undergraduate and postgraduate education, while vocational education beyond secondary education is known as further education in the United Kingdom, or included under the category of continuing education in the United States.

Tertiary education generally culminates in the receipt of certificates, diplomas, or academic degrees. Higher education represents levels 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the 2011 version of the International Standard Classification of Education structure. Tertiary education at a nondegree level is sometimes referred to as further education or continuing education as distinct from higher education.

UNESCO stated that tertiary education focuses on learning endeavors in specialized fields. It includes academic and higher vocational education.[2]

The World Bank's 2019 World Development Report on the future of work[3] argues that given the future of work and the increasing role of technology in value chains, tertiary education becomes even more relevant for workers to compete in the labor market.

  1. ^ "Tertiary Education". World Bank. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Tertiary education (ISCED levels 5 to 8)". uis.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  3. ^ "World Bank World Development Report 2019: The Changing Nature of Work" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2018.