Higher education

After graduating from secondary school, young people face several choices. One option is to enrol in a higher education institution. The higher education system in Estonia has three levels:

• professional higher education and Bachelor’s study;
• Master’s study;
• Doctoral study.

Each student can decide whether to complete all three levels of education or finish studies after receiving a professional education diploma, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Usually, the acquired level of education and the field of education determine one’s career path.

Higher education statistics provide the following information:

• how many higher education institutions there are in Estonia;
• how many male and female students there are;
• how many foreign students study in Estonian higher education institutions.

Higher education statistics also include information on educational institutions, study programmes, admitted students, graduates and dropouts. It is also possible to find out how many persons are acquiring higher education in Estonia, where they come from, and other interesting facts. These statistics are necessary for the state to make decisions about higher education.