R&I Dashboard > Human Capital > Qualification Levels / New Tertiary Students / School-leavers Qualified for Higher Education / Subject Structure
The qualification levels of the gainfully employed can be determined using the so-called International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). It distinguishes between the following levels:
| ISCED Level | Attainment |
|---|---|
| ISCED 0-2 | Pre-primary and lower secondary education |
| ISCED 3* | Upper secondary or vocational education without direct access to first tertiary programmes |
| ISCED 3** | Upper secondary or vocational education with direct access to first tertiary programmes |
| ISCED 4 | Post-secondary non-tertiary education |
| ISCED 5+6 | Tertiary education |
| ISCED 7+8 | Master’s / Doctoral or equivalent level |
In 2021, the share of the labour force with tertiary qualifications (ISCED 5+6 and ISCED 7+8) in Germany was 33.8 percent, the same as in the previous year and thus significantly lower than in most of the comparative countries. In terms of higher academic qualifications (ISCED 7+8), Germany's share of 14.3 percent was also around 3 percentage points below the average for the European countries under consideration (17.6 percent).
In 2021, Germany had by far the highest rate among the European countries of comparison for intermediate degrees (ISCED 3** and ISCED 4), which formally allow entry to tertiary education, at 53.8 percent.