Tertiary education is a stage of education following compulsory education. Depending on the definition used it may include all post-compulsory education, including that delivered at secondary schools, all post-secondary education, or be a synonym for higher education. Historically, it has covered education between the end of compulsory schooling and the start of higher education (then referred to as post-tertiary education). Tertiary education may be defined by life-stage as including adult education at all educational levels, including basic skills education, or may be defined by educational level as only including education at the higher education level.
UNESCO has stated that tertiary education focuses on learning endeavours in specialised fields. It includes academic and higher vocational education. The World Bank's 2019 World Development Report on the future of work argues that, given the future of work and the increasing role of technology in value chains, tertiary education is becoming even more relevant for workers to compete in the labor market.
Definitions
Tertiary education has a number of definitions. It may include all post-compulsory education, including that delivered at secondary schools, all post-secondary education, or be a synonym for higher education. Historically, it has covered education between the end of compulsory schooling and the start of higher education (then referred to as post-tertiary education), but is normally now taken to also include higher education. Tertiary education may be defined by life-stage as including adult education at all educational levels, including basic skills education, or may be defined by educational level as only including education at the higher education level.
While tertiary education is sometimes used as a synonym for higher education, the two terms are distinct. In an international context, tertiary education takes in technical and vocational education and training as well as higher education. Various other definitions are used in specific countries.
In the ISCED, tertiary education is used as an educational level, rather than an educational stage, to refer to education at ISCED levels 5, 6, 7 and 8. This takes in academic education as well as degree-level technical and professional education. This is synonymous with the definition for higher education as "Education at ISCED level 5 or above".
Components
There are multiple, overlapping components to tertiary education, not all of which are included in all definitions of tertiary education.
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET), also known as vocational education and training, technical and vocational skills development, further education and training, and technical and further education, includes formal education at colleges, apprenticeships, and lifelong learning. The defining feature is the orientation towards employment, and the educational may be at secondary, post-secondary or degree-level.
Tertiary education can include post-compulsory lifelong learning or adult education at all educational levels, sometimes known as continuing education, recurrent education, or second chance education.
Within Australia, "tertiary education" refers to continuing studies after a student completes secondary school. Tertiary education options include universities, technical and further education (TAFE) and private universities.
In Ireland, policy since the 2020s has promoted a more unified tertiary system linking further education and higher education. In 2022, the National Tertiary Office was established within the Higher Education Authority and jointly managed by the HEA and SOLAS to develop joint further-and-higher education degree programmes.
United Kingdom
Under devolution in the United Kingdom, education is administered separately in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Prior to devolution, a national system of tertiary colleges was proposed for 16–19 education in 1980 to replace other post-compulsory education providers and to be the sole providers of both vocational (traditionally provided by further education colleges) and academic (traditionally provided by school sixth forms and sixth form colleges) further education in an area. However, the initial recommendation was watered down by the government of the time and implementation was left to local authorities to decide.
England
In England, the term "tertiary education" has been used to refer to all post-18 study (including apprenticeships, further education and higher education). The lack of a clear definition for tertiary education in England has been noted by Universities UK, who proposed that it could either be defined by level (covering all qualifications at level 4 or above on the national qualifications framework) or by need (covering all adult learners, at whatever level). The Association of Colleges uses "tertiary education" to refer to post-16 education.
Since the 1970s, specialized further education colleges in England and Wales have been called "tertiary colleges", although sometimes considered (for example, under the ISCED definition) as providing secondary education. These institutions cater for both school leavers and adults. Generally, district councils with such colleges have adopted a tertiary system or structure where a single local institution provides all the 16–19 and adult education, and where schools do not universally offer sixth forms (i.e., secondary schools only serve ages 11–16). However the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 has effectively prevented the creation of new tertiary colleges.
Wales
Since at least 2016, the Welsh Government has formally used the term "tertiary education" to refer to post-16 education and training in Wales, including post-16 education delivered within secondary schools. The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022. established Medr, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research. The remit of Medr includes further education, higher education (including research and innovation), apprenticeships, adult community learning, and local authority maintained school sixth forms.
↑Huw Morris (29 July 2024). "What is meant by the term tertiary education? Past developments and recent activity". Policy Reviews in Higher Education. 4 (2): 122–145. doi:10.1080/23322969.2024.2383602.
↑Ian Whitman (21 May 2003). "Tertiary Education Policy in OECD Countries: developing the human resource". European Journal of Education. 38 (2). doi:10.1111/1467-3435.00138.
↑"Higher education". Right to Education. Definitions: higher education and tertiary education. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
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