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.

Higher education institutions 18
0.0%
2022
Dropouts 6,188
-9.4%
2022
Higher education graduates 8,835
-8.1%
2022
Number of students 44,131
-1.1%
2022
Foreign students 4,873
-3.9%
2022
Acquisition of higher education by field of study | 2022
Students by country of residence | 2016 – 2022
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Countries of Africa total 344 389 461 560 513 468 408
Countries of Asia total 924 1,105 1,482 1,757 1,620 1,492 1,437
Estonia 43,924 41,830 40,726 39,673 40,008 39,491 39,245
Countries of Europe (excl. Estonia) 2,420 2,563 2,770 2,790 2,595 2,465 2,636
Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean area total 84 108 148 175 137 138 167
Countries of Northern America total 79 112 137 135 129 164 179
Countries of Oceania total 6 10 15 20 21 20 17
Country/territory unknown 13 37 76 68 236 373 0

Acquisition of higher education | 2018 – 2022
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Levels of study total 45,815 45,178 45,259 44,611 44,131
Professional higher education 12,601 11,967 11,721 11,462 11,246
Bachelor's study 15,830 15,707 15,953 15,786 15,929
Integrated Bachelor's/Master's study 3,189 3,222 3,306 3,324 3,287
Master's study 11,783 11,966 11,962 11,686 11,377
Doctoral study 2,412 2,316 2,317 2,353 2,292