Structured Lists Directory

YAML

National Education Systems - YAML

National education systems take diverse forms reflecting each country's history, culture, and socio-economic conditions. This dataset systematically organizes compulsory education duration (years, starting age, ending age) and types of higher education institutions (universities, junior colleges, vocational schools, colleges of technology, etc.) across countries worldwide. Focusing primarily on OECD countries, it compares education systems of developed and emerging nations, showing variations in compulsory education length and diversity of higher education institutions. This serves as foundational data useful for educational policy development, international comparative research, and study abroad destination selection.

education system compulsory education higher education international comparison OECD school system study abroad 
- code: "JP"
  slug: "japan"
  name: "Japan"
  description: "6-3-3-4 school system. 9 years of compulsory education."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 9
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 15
    structure: "6-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "US"
  slug: "united-states"
  name: "United States"
  description: "Varies by state. K-12 education is common."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 12
    startAge: 5
    endAge: 18
    structure: "K-12"
    note: "州によって異なる"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: false
    communityCollege: true
    liberalArtsCollege: true
- code: "GB"
  slug: "united-kingdom"
  name: "United Kingdom"
  description: "England: compulsory education from age 5 to 16. Education/training continues until age 18."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 13
    startAge: 5
    endAge: 18
    structure: "6-5-2"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: false
    furtherEducationCollege: true
- code: "FR"
  slug: "france"
  name: "France"
  description: "One of the world's longest compulsory education at 13 years, starting at age 3."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 13
    startAge: 3
    endAge: 16
    structure: "3-5-4-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
    grandeEcole: true
- code: "DE"
  slug: "germany"
  name: "Germany"
  description: "9 or 10 years of compulsory education by state. Vocational school attendance required."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 10
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 16
    structure: "4-6"
    note: "州による。職業学校就学義務あり"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
    universityOfAppliedSciences: true
- code: "NL"
  slug: "netherlands"
  name: "Netherlands"
  description: "Up to 13 years of compulsory education until basic qualification is obtained."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 13
    startAge: 5
    endAge: 18
    structure: "8-4-4"
    note: "基礎資格取得まで"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
    universityOfAppliedSciences: true
- code: "FI"
  slug: "finland"
  name: "Finland"
  description: "9 years of basic education. Free from pre-school through graduate school."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 9
    startAge: 7
    endAge: 16
    structure: "6-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
    universityOfAppliedSciences: true
- code: "KR"
  slug: "south-korea"
  name: "South Korea"
  description: "Similar to Japan's 6-3-3-4 system. 9 years of compulsory education."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 9
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 15
    structure: "6-3-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "CN"
  slug: "china"
  name: "China"
  description: "9 years of compulsory education. 6-3-3 system is common."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 9
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 15
    structure: "6-3-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "RU"
  slug: "russia"
  name: "Russia"
  description: "11 years of compulsory education. Three stages: primary, basic, and secondary."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 11
    startAge: 7
    endAge: 18
    structure: "4-5-2"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "AU"
  slug: "australia"
  name: "Australia"
  description: "Varies by state, but typically 11 years of compulsory education."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 11
    startAge: 5
    endAge: 17
    structure: "7-4-2"
    note: "州による"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: false
    tafe: true
- code: "CA"
  slug: "canada"
  name: "Canada"
  description: "Varies by province, but typically 12 years."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 12
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 18
    structure: "6-3-3"
    note: "州による。ケベックは11年"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
    college: true
- code: "SE"
  slug: "sweden"
  name: "Sweden"
  description: "9 years of compulsory education from age 7 to 16."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 9
    startAge: 7
    endAge: 16
    structure: "9"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: false
    universityCollege: true
- code: "IT"
  slug: "italy"
  name: "Italy"
  description: "10 years of compulsory education from age 6 to 16."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 10
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 16
    structure: "5-3-2"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "ES"
  slug: "spain"
  name: "Spain"
  description: "10 years of compulsory education from age 6 to 16."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 10
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 16
    structure: "6-4"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "BR"
  slug: "brazil"
  name: "Brazil"
  description: "14 years of compulsory education from age 4 to 17."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 14
    startAge: 4
    endAge: 17
    structure: "2-9-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: false
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "IN"
  slug: "india"
  name: "India"
  description: "8 years of compulsory education from age 6 to 14."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 8
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 14
    structure: "5-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
    instituteOfTechnology: true
- code: "SG"
  slug: "singapore"
  name: "Singapore"
  description: "6 years of compulsory education covering only primary school."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 6
    startAge: 6
    endAge: 12
    structure: "6"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
- code: "ID"
  slug: "indonesia"
  name: "Indonesia"
  description: "12 years of compulsory education from age 7 to 18."
  compulsoryEducation:
    durationYears: 12
    startAge: 7
    endAge: 18
    structure: "6-3-3"
  higherEducation:
    university: true
    juniorCollege: true
    vocationalCollege: true
    polytechnic: true
    communityCollege: true