Education systems assessed using rigorous framework measuring excellence, equity, and efficiency

HELSINKI, FINLAND, March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, as global education leaders gather around UNESCO's International Day for Digital Learning, the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) released its list of Global High Performing Countries, based on a rigorous analysis of 83 education systems worldwide. The analysis examines academic excellence, success for all learners, and return on investment. The ten High Performing Countries are Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Sweden.

NCEE evaluates systems through the lenses of excellence, equity, and efficiency, moving beyond point-in-time assessments to measure success across the learner life course. Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) anchor the analysis on 15-year-olds, while the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) focus on students in grades 4 and 8. The analysis further incorporates the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to track literacy and numeracy growth into adulthood and measure long-term economic outcomes such as wage premiums. In addition, NCEE assesses foundational literacy and numeracy alongside future-ready indicators such as student curiosity and well-being, and the quality of educator-student relationships. This holistic approach allows policymakers to see not only which systems produce the highest test scores, but which systems successfully engineer sustained excellence and economic opportunity for all learners.

"This analysis looks beyond test scores to the larger story of how education systems support human potential," said Dr. Vicki Phillips, CEO of NCEE. "When strong learning outcomes are paired with policies that expand opportunity and use resources wisely, we see more clearly what it takes for systems to succeed. The world's highest-performing systems offer not just a benchmark, but insight for designing better futures for learners everywhere."

Among the ten High Performing Countries, NCEE has awarded Badges to the systems that best exemplify the pillars of excellence, equity, and efficiency:

• Singapore received the Excellence Badge for distinguishing itself through consistently high academic performance, strong student-teacher relationships, positive feelings of belonging and curiosity among students, and continued literacy and numeracy growth into adulthood. 
• Hong Kong received the Equity Badge for reducing the impact of socioeconomic status on student success and attitudes. Hong Kong also maintains high early childhood education enrollment and a significant number of resilient students, defined as those who reach the top academic tiers despite being furthest from opportunity. 
• Ireland received the Efficiency Badge for maximizing the impact of education spending. Ireland achieves superior math results while spending less per student than many peers. It also delivers high wage premiums based on years of schooling.

"Our updated methodology reflects a more human-centered and economically grounded view of education," said Tracey Burns, NCEE's Chief of Global Strategy and Research. "By pairing strong, internationally comparable measures of academic learning with indicators of student well-being, system efficiency, and long-term economic outcomes, we are able to identify education systems that prepare young people not only to perform, but to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape. These findings reinforce a critical insight: high performance and student well-being are not competing goals. They are deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing."

While this analysis highlights global systems that have maintained high performance, NCEE is also preparing a second release to celebrate systems showing significant upward trajectories. Later this year, NCEE will publish a list of Rapid Risers, systems that have successfully engineered rapid improvements in student achievement, expanded access to education, and reduced socioeconomic gaps. This upcoming analysis will provide insights for systems seeking to accelerate their progress and move from their current state toward a world-class education model.
 

About the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE)
NCEE is a global think-and-do tank at the intersection of education and the economy. We conduct deep research to discover the best ideas from the world's highest-performing education systems. We design strategies for states and districts based on the global research that informs policy and improves practice. We deliver world-class leadership development through NISL NEXT.

For more information on the methodology and approach, visit the high performer profiles here. 

Jenni Craw National Center on Education and the Economy 202-379-1800 jcraw@ncee.org

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