Nearly two-thirds of Canadian adults aged 25 to 64 held a college or university credential in 2025, up from 55% a decade earlier, according to new data released by Statistics Canada showing a broad shift toward higher levels of formal education across the working-age population.
The increase was driven largely by growth at the university level. The share of adults holding a bachelor’s degree rose from 20% to 25% between 2015 and 2025, while the proportion with a master’s or doctoral degree climbed from 9% to 14%. Over the same period, the share of adults without a high school diploma fell from 10% to 7%, and the share with only a high school education dropped from 24% to 20%.
Researchers attribute the shift largely to generational replacement, as younger cohorts who pursued postsecondary education in greater numbers gradually replace older cohorts with more limited educational opportunities.
Canada stands out
Canada’s postsecondary attainment rate stands well above the international average. The 64% of working-age Canadians holding a college or university credential compares to an OECD average of 41%. Canada’s college system is a particular standout: 25% of Canadians hold a college credential, more than three times the OECD average of 7%.
Women are driving much of the growth. In 2025, 71% of women aged 25 to 64 held a postsecondary credential, up from 61% in 2015, fuelled by gains at the bachelor’s and graduate degree level. Among men, the figure rose from 49% to 57% over the same period.
That Canadians continue to invest in education at rates far exceeding the international norm is a genuine national strength, one that reflects a long-standing cultural commitment to building the kind of skilled, adaptable workforce a serious civilization requires. A key challenge however, is ensuring that our skilled and well-educated population can find more opportunities to flourish in Canada, rather than being incentivized to go elsewhere to achieve their full potential.
Spencer Fernando
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