Number of students in tertiary education in Tunisia 2014-2020, by gender

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.