On 6 October 2025, Eurostat published an update on the progress towards the EU’s tertiary education attainment goal for 2030, which is for at least 45% of people aged 25-34 to hold a tertiary education qualification. This objective is a key component of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the achievement of the European Education Area.

In 2024, the EU recorded a higher education attainment rate of 44.2% among the relevant age group, falling just short of the 45% target set for 2030. However, when zooming into the regional level, only about 35% of European regions  (84 out of 242) have already reached the aforementioned benchmark.  

Unsurprisingly, the regions with the highest attainment rates (at least 57.7% of 25-34 year olds) are predominantly metropolitan areas with well-established universities and lively research and innovation ecosystems, including, for example:  the capital region of Lithuania (73.6%), and the capital areas of France, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Luxembourg and Denmark. 

By contrast, rural regions with weaker infrastructures and fewer opportunities for higher-skilled employment remained considerably distant from reaching the target. 24 regions have reported fewer than 26.5% tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds, including large areas in Romania, Hungary, Czechia, Greece, Croatia, Portugal and Southern Italy.

This data underscores a striking regional divide in Europe when it comes to tertiary education attainment, calling for policies that can support broader higher education access. Investment in less developed regions, especially through the European Structural Funds, will be crucial to equip peripheral areas with the infrastructure they need to meet their higher education demands and retain talent. In addition, maintaining geographical balance as a pivotal criterion in EU calls for funding, will be key to promote a fairer regional development of higher education ecosystems.