Swedish Higher Education Statistics and Stuff

"A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being," and "having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money" (OECD Sweden, 2018). According to the Swedish Higher Education Authority, Sweden invests slightly more revenue (1.7 percent of GDP) on higher education than other OECD countries do, which is evidenced in the slightly higher percentage of Swedish adults who achieve a tertiary education.

As technology and globalization continues to shape and change our world, "the demand for individuals with a broader knowledge base and more specialized skills continues to rise" (OECD). With a national population of slightly more than 10 million people, about 47.4% have competed a tertiary education, on par with the United states. Along with those numbers, approximately 60 percent of Swede college students graduate and complete a degree, which is slightly higher than 54 percent in the United States, but much lower than the 91 percent graduation rates in Japan (OECD, 2019).

As in other OECD countries, more women than men achieve a tertiary education in Sweden, at almost twice the numbers. The gender gap begins to equalize and go in the opposite direction for PhD candidates. Women tend to take a longer time to achieve a degree and there are fewer female university professors than males.

The US CIA website has this to say; "Sweden's small, open, and competitive economy has been thriving and Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living with its combination of free-market capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. Sweden remains outside the euro zone largely out of concern that joining the European Economic and Monetary Union would diminish the country's sovereignty over its welfare system" (The World Fact Book, 2018).

The World Factbook: Sweden. (2018, February 01). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sw.html

OECD (2019), Population with tertiary education (indicator). doi: 10.1787/0b8f90e9-en (Accessed on 07 August 2019)

OECD Sweden. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/sweden/

Higher education in Sweden - 2018 status report. (2018, June 28). Retrieved from https://english.uka.se/about-us/publications/reports--guidelines/reports--guidelines/2018-06-29-higher-education-in-sweden---2018-status-report.html