tertiary education
3 synonyms and 2 antonyms for tertiary education, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — All formal education taken after leaving secondary school, including universities, colleges, polytechnics and vocational or technical training.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
higher education
post-secondary education
further education
Antonyms
primary education
secondary education
How to use tertiary education
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
access to tertiary education
tertiary education sector
tertiary qualification
enrol in tertiary education
Formal; common in policy documents and international statistics.
Etymology
From Latin tertiarius, 'of the third part', from tertius 'third'; it is the third stage after primary and secondary.
Full origin of tertiary education →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tertiary education and higher education?
Tertiary education is the wider term and covers everything after school, including trade and technical qualifications. Higher education is the degree-awarding part of it, so every degree course is higher education, but an apprenticeship or a diploma at a technical institute is tertiary without being higher education.
Which countries use the term?
It is standard in Australia, New Zealand, parts of Asia and in international bodies such as UNESCO and the World Bank. British English usually says 'higher' or 'further' education, and American English says 'college' or 'post-secondary'.
