In 2020, almost 270,000 students were enrolled in tertiary education in Tunisia. Around 170,000 of these were women, making up roughly 63 percent of the students. From 2014 onwards, the number of students in tertiary education generally decreased, with male students always representing the minority of the enrollees.
Higher education in Tunisia
After obtaining the Baccalauréat at the end of secondary school, students in Tunisia can access higher education. Most students enrolled in university pursue bachelor’s degrees. In the 2017/2018 academic year, there were around 152,000 undergraduate students in the country, compared to approximately 37,000 postgraduates. Some foreign students also attend Tunisia's higher education institutions. Out of the total number of enrollees in tertiary education in the country, around 2.8 percent were foreign students as of 2019. In general, Tunisians mostly enroll in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Commercial and administrative affairs, engineering, and computer science are the most popular fields of study in tertiary education.
Largest universities
As of the 2018/2019 academic year, there were around 277 tertiary education institutions in Tunisia. The vast majority, amounting to 203, were public establishments. Despite a constant annual increment in number, private universities remain less prevalent in the country and attract a lower number of students compared to public institutes. The public universities of Sfax, Carthage, and Tunis El Manar lead the ranking of Tunisian universities by number of enrollees. In recent years, enrollment in tertiary education has been generally decreasing in Tunisia.
Number of students enrolled in tertiary education in Tunisia from 2014 to 2020, by gender
Characteristic
Female
Male
2020
170,386
99,038
2019
169,096
98,058
2018
171,587
100,674
2017
178,391
103,813
2016
184,100
110,386
2015
198,777
123,848
2014
204,043
127,759
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Number of students204,043204,043198,777198,777184,100184,100178,391178,391171,587171,587169,096169,096170,386170,386127,759127,759123,848123,848110,386110,386103,813103,813100,674100,67498,05898,05899,03899,038FemaleMale2014201520162017201820192020
0100,000200,000300,000400,000
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UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (September 30, 2022). Number of students enrolled in tertiary education in Tunisia from 2014 to 2020, by gender [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 02, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180673/number-of-students-enrolled-in-tertiary-education-in-tunisia-by-gender/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. "Number of students enrolled in tertiary education in Tunisia from 2014 to 2020, by gender ." Chart. September 30, 2022. Statista. Accessed April 02, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180673/number-of-students-enrolled-in-tertiary-education-in-tunisia-by-gender/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2022). Number of students enrolled in tertiary education in Tunisia from 2014 to 2020, by gender . Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 02, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180673/number-of-students-enrolled-in-tertiary-education-in-tunisia-by-gender/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. "Number of Students Enrolled in Tertiary Education in Tunisia from 2014 to 2020, by Gender ." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Sep 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180673/number-of-students-enrolled-in-tertiary-education-in-tunisia-by-gender/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Number of students enrolled in tertiary education in Tunisia from 2014 to 2020, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180673/number-of-students-enrolled-in-tertiary-education-in-tunisia-by-gender/ (last visited April 02, 2025)
Number of students enrolled in tertiary education in Tunisia from 2014 to 2020, by gender [Graph], UNESCO Institute for Statistics, September 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180673/number-of-students-enrolled-in-tertiary-education-in-tunisia-by-gender/
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