higher education

American  

noun

1. education beyond high school, specifically that provided by colleges and graduate schools, and professional schools.

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higher education British  

noun

1. education and training at colleges, universities, polytechnics, etc

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Etymology

Origin of higher education

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

This is borne out by reports from within higher education, where the use of AI is often not considered cheating at all.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

“Also just his story. As someone who works in higher education, and seeing how Xavier, being first-generation, has benefited from higher education, and how he advocates for higher education,” the Rialto resident said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

She’s covered higher education for a decade and is the author of “Sunk Cost: Who’s to Blame for the Nation’s Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix It.”

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

To quote the House of Commons Library, "overall participation in higher education increased from 3.4% in 1950, to 8.4% in 1970, 19.3% in 1990 and 33% in 2000".

From BBC • May 17, 2026

When educators promised to open their schools, it was partly because they couldn’t imagine another response; their schools were rooted in the belief that higher education should be available to all.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Related Words

• university