Top 50 Best School Systems In The World (2024)

All education systems are not equal; the best school systems in the world are designed to arm young people with the knowledge and skills to contribute towards building the human society, rather than just pass exams.

Knowing this, parents and guardians make significant sacrifices, especially in the area of finances, to ensure that their children go to the schools where they can be groomed to be the best versions of themselves.

Identifying such places may require a lot of research; with so many school systems, it may be difficult to select the best for your child.

Top 50 Best School Systems In The World

1. Germany

Germany has long been identified as one of best managed countries in the world; a country that is inadvertently the best in the world almost everything. It should not be a surprise therefore, that it is also the best in terms of education; after all education is the foundation upon which solid societies are built.

Germany has a literacy rate of 99%, and no matter what demographic you look into, the country still performs very well. The excellence in the German school system is not just about being able to read and write; it is evident in the country’s economy which is buoyed by the manufacturing sector, and by the ingenuity of the German people in the fields of design, engineering, marketing, and so on.

Germany is therefore the perfect destination for a young person with such talents as listed above; schooling in that country will enable him to reach his potential in a competitive environment whereby excellence in these fields is expected from young children.

2. Finland

Finland is another country that is managed with a vision; one that is to become a beacon of hope to humanity. Finland is located in northern Europe; it is a country with a small population of 5.5 million people. That population is quite an educated one; the literacy rate is 100%.

Finland has a school achievement rate of 25% for young children, and the public school system- just like every other system in the country is very well organized. In Finland there is an 11-year compulsory basic comprehensive school.

66.2% of enrollees graduate from secondary school, and about 44% go on to complete a post-secondary diploma. Finland is a country that places a high priority on education as a tool to enhance the development of the country.

3. Iceland

Iceland is another northern European country with something to write home about as regards the quality of education on offer. Iceland has a literacy rate of 99%, and a population of just over 5 million people.

Iceland’s schoolchildren have a school achievement of 21% which makes it one of the best school systems in the world.

Iceland is a country that is engineered to work for all the people; and this is reflected in the fact that every child is given an equal opportunity to get quality education so as be equipped to contribute to society.

4. New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in Oceania; one that is beautiful and well organized. New Zealand has a literacy rate of 99%, and a population of 5.2 million people.

The country has a school achievement rate of 17.39% which is quite impressive; and although the school system varies widely depending on the particular area one visits; it usually follows the three tiered system of primary and intermediate level, secondary level, and then tertiary level.

The school system in New Zealand is known to be quite flexible; the goal is to allow students develop at their own pace, and to explore their various talents. Physical activities make up a good part of the education of New Zealand.

5. Norway

Norway is yet another northern European country with an excellent education system. As is evident; a well-balanced education system is a reflection of a society that is built to be efficient and workable. Norway realizes the potential of education as a tool to make the country greater.

Norway has a literacy rate of 100%- only one of the few countries to do so. The country also 0.93 on the education index; which makes it one of the countries that are well established in terms of education.

Education is mandatory for children between the ages of 6 to 16; and the schooling system is broken into two main categories; primary and lower secondary; and then higher secondary and tertiary. Norway is already well known to be a major destination for people seeking better quality of education.

6. United Kingdom

The UK is a giant in terms of economy, development, social structure and of course education. The United Kingdom has a literacy rate of 99%, which means its population of 66 million is rather well read.

The UK also scores 0.93 on the education Index; it is a country in which it is rather strange to find a person who has not received an education. Furthermore, the British education system is divided into four main parts; primary, secondary, further education and tertiary education.

The UK has several education systems; according to the different nations that make up the country.

7. Australia

Australia is a very developed country in Oceania; it has very strong ties with Britain. This country has an attractive economy, social structure and education system; it is all that one could want in a country.

Australia has a literacy rate of about 44% but there is more to that data than meets the eye. Australia has very good schools; education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16; and is divided into several sectors including early childhood and primary education, and then secondary, and then tertiary education.

The education is effective; Australia scores 0.92 on the education index; and has the evidence of its education in its economy.

8. Denmark

Denmark is a northern European country; it is known to be a wealthy, developed country with citizens that live very good and comfortable lives. Denmark has a very good social structure; and education is one of basic luxuries enjoyed in that country.

Denmark has a literacy rate of 99%, and scores 0.92 on the education index. The country is places a high priority on education, it is compulsory for children below 15 or 16. Even though public schooling is not compulsory; whatever education given to children must match the curriculum.

9. Ireland

Ireland is the sister country to the United Kingdom; it shares a similar culture and level of development with that country. Ireland has a literacy rate of 99% and a population of 5 million people. The country also has score of 0.92 on the education index.

Ireland also has compulsory education regimen in place which ensures that children between the ages of 6 to 16. Ireland is a favorite destination for people seeking to study abroad; the country’s education is good- as shown by its economic growth.

10. Singapore

Singapore is a country in Asia; it is unusual for its wealth, and for its level of development. Singapore is a small country; it is described as a city state; and has a population of 5.4 million, and with a literacy rate of 96.77%, it is clear that the country is quite well educated.

Education in Singapore is compulsory; all children must attend national primary school unless such an exception is granted. The education is quite strictly followed across all levels; and this is perhaps why Singapore does great in terms of education.

The following is a more extensive list of the 50 best school systems in the world.

Rank	country	Location
1	Germany	Europe
2	Finland	Europe
3	Iceland	Europe
4	New Zealand	Oceania
5	Norway	Europe
6	United kingdom	Europe
7	Australia	Oceania
8	Denmark	Europe
9	Ireland	Europe
10	Singapore	Asia
11	Sweden	Europe
12	Netherlands	Europe
13	Slovenia	Europe
14	Belgium	Europe
15	Lithuania	Europe
16	Switzerland	Europe
17	Canada	Americas
18	Estonia	Europe
19	Hong Kong	Asia
20	Israel	Asia
21	Latvia	Europe
22	Austria	Europe
23	Poland	Europe
24	Argentina	Americas
25	Georgia	Europe
26	Palau	Oceania
27	Greece	Europe
28	Japan	Asia
29	Belarus	Europe
30	Kazakhstan	Asia
31	Cyprus	Europe
32	Liechtenstein	Europe
33	Malta	Europe
34	Slovakia	Europe
35	Spain	Europe
36	France	Europe
37	Hungary	Europe
38	Chile	Americas
39	Croatia	Europe
40	Luxembourg	Europe
41	Montenegro	Europe
42	Ukraine	Europe
43	United Arab Emirates	Asia
44	Cuba	Americas
45	Italy	Europe
46	Saudi Arabia	Asia
47	Barbados	Caribbean
48	Bulgaria	Europe
49	Serbia	Europe
50	Tonga	Oceania

Closing

The best school systems in the world belong to the most well managed countries; it takes a forwarding thinking administration to make a schools system functional. It also takes a wealthy country to run a good school system; it takes a lot of money to run a functional educational system.