Q&A
On 10 November 2011, UNESCO’s General Conference adopted revisions to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). As steward of the revision process, the UIS was deeply involved in the development of ISCED 2011. The following Questions and Answers highlight substantive changes to the classification system.
Q: What is The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)?
A: The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is part of the United Nations International Family of Economic and Social Classifications, which are applied in statistics worldwide with the purpose of assembling, compiling and analysing cross-nationally comparable data. ISCED is the reference classification for organizing education programmes and related qualifications by education levels and fields. The basic units of classification are the national (and sub-national) education programme and the related recognised educational qualification. ISCED is a product of international agreement and adopted formally by the General Conference of UNESCO Member States.
Q: What is the aim of ISCED?
A: Since education systems vary in structure and content across countries, the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) provides a common framework for organising and presenting education data in a consistent and internationally comparable manner. It facilitates the transformation of national data into internationally agreed categories allowing cross-national comparisons.
Developed by UNESCO, ISCED is the global reference classification for education statistics. It supports international benchmarking and monitoring of education systems and plays a key role in tracking progress toward global education goals. The framework applies to all formal and non-formal education programmes, regardless of age or stage of learning.First introduced in 1976, ISCED has been revised to reflect evolving education systems and policy priorities - most notably in 1997, 2011, and 2013 (the latter for fields of education and training). As education systems continue to change, the classification must be updated to remain relevant and effective.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is responsible for maintaining, updating, and revising ISCED. A comprehensive update of ISCED 2011 and ISCED-F 2013 is currently underway to enhance the clarity, relevance, and comparability of global education data. The revision process is expected to be completed by 2027.
Q: What are the statistical units of ISCED?
A: The statistical units of ISCED are the educational programmes and the resulting qualifications. These statistical units are classified into a hierarchy of educational levels, based on increasing complexity of educational content.
Q: What is an ISCED mapping?
A: An ISCED mapping is the conversion of a national education systeminto the international agreed categories defined by ISCED. ISCED mapping is an essential tool for organizing information on a country’s education system, including its programmes and related qualifications, in order to facilitate cross-national comparison of education data and statistics, and enable data users to understand and interpret them.
An ISCED mapping outlines the main national education programmes and shows how each is classified under ISCED. This allows data users to better understand and interpret the education data presented in international databases.
ISCED mappings are based on each Member State’s response to the UIS Questionnaire on National Education Programmes. Before publication, they are validated both by the UIS and the respective country to ensure accuracy and consistency. Once validated, they are made publicly available on the UIS website to promote transparency and support informed data analysis.
The UIS publishes two types of mappings: one aligned with ISCED 1997 and the other with the more recent ISCED 2011 framework. ISCED 2011-based mappings are added to the site on a rolling basis as they become available (see https://isced.uis.unesco.org/data-mapping/).
Q: What is an ISCED diagram?
A: An ISCED diagram is a visual representation of the structure of national education systems based on ISCED and to facilitate country-by-country comparison. The diagrams were created based on the mappings provided by countries and validated by the UIS (see https://isced.uis.unesco.org/visualizations/)
Q: When can ISCED mapping be missing for a country?
A: ISCED mapping may be unavailable for countries that either do not respond to the ISCED questionnaire or have not reached agreement with the UIS on the classification of their education programmes.
At present, ISCED mappings are available for two hundred and one (201) countries. These validated mappings are accessible through the UIS ISCED microsite at: https://isced.uis.unesco.org/data-mapping/
Q: What is the main cross-classification variables of ISCED?
A: The main cross-classification variables of ISCED are levels and fields of education. Within each ISCED level, additional dimensions such as programme orientation, completion, access to higher ISCED levels, and position within the national degree structure are used to classify programmes and qualifications.
Q: What are the main types of programme orientation in ISCED?
A: Programme orientation in ISCED levels 2 to 5 is classified into two categories: general education and vocational education. At higher ISCED levels (6-8), the terms academic and professional may also be used, though they are not yet fully defined by ISCED.
Q: What is vocational education according to ISCED?
A: Vocational education refers to programmes designed to provide learners with specific skills and competencies for occupations or trades. These programmes may include work-based components, and completion leads to vocational qualifications relevant to the labor market.
Q: What is general education according to ISCED?
A: General education refers to programmes aimed at developing broad knowledge, skills, literacy, and numeracy, often preparing learners for further education. Unlike vocational education, general education does not directly prepare students for specific occupations.
Q: How is educational attainment defined in ISCED?
A: Educational attainment is defined as the highest ISCED level successfully completed by an individual. It is measured based on the highest education programme completed, typically certified by a recognized qualification. Intermediate qualifications that are not equivalent to the full programme are classified at a lower level.
Q: What is the coding system used in ISCED for education programmes and educational attainment?
A: ISCED uses parallel three-digit coding schemes for education programmes (ISCED-P) and educational attainment (ISCED-A), with nine distinct levels identified in both schemes. Complementary dimensions within each level allow for further categorization, and the coding system can be expanded if additional combinations of categories and sub-categories are identified.
Q: What is the ISCED Review Panel (formerly known as the ISCED Committee)?
A: For ISCED governance, ISCED 2011 Manual recommends that “an ISCED Committee should be formed in order to advise UIS regarding the classification of national programmes and qualifications, to review the current version of ISCED and to identify potential areas for further development, although ISCED revisions are not expected to be within its remit […]”.
Consequently, the UIS established an ISCED Review Panel in June 2023 to advise on the administration of ISCED. The ISCED Review Panel is composed on 16 experts from seven International Organisations and six Member States[1]. It is balanced both technically and geographically. It represents all UNESCO regions and reflects different types of education systems.
Q: What are the ISCED Review Panel recommendations?
A: The ISCED Review Panel recommends amendments to ISCED 2011 and a comprehensive revision of ISCED-F 2013 to enhance relevance of the classifications and global comparability of data. The ISCED Review Panel recommendations are accessible at:
Q: What is ISCED-T?
A: ISCED-T is a framework for assembling, compiling, and analyzing cross nationally comparable statistics on teacher training programmes (TTPs) and related teacher qualifications.
It has been developed by UIS to aid the monitoring of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 4.c. In addition, ISCED-T is expected to help improve comprehension of national TTPs and related qualifications and foster policy dialogue on teacher quality.
[1] African Centre for Statistic (UN Economic Commission for Africa), Education International, the International Labor Organisation (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UNESCO, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Statistical Classifications (UNCEISC), Brazil, Cameroon, Egypt, India, Jamaica, Norway. UIS acts as the Secretariat of the ISCED Review Panel.