Europe is a melting pot of cultures and heritage, but which countries produce the most learned fellows?

In data obtained by Euronews, for the 35 European countries where it was available, there were more women aged 25–34 who attended tertiary education than men.

Women generally come out on top, and are we surprised? In the Nordic and Baltic countries where they have the highest percentage of people attending higher education, women are reportedly the most educated overall.

In 2022 it averaged that the amount of women in Europe with a higher education was 47.6 per cent whereas it was only 36.5 per cent for men.

The UK comes in at 7th on the list, with a huge 43.5 per cent of the population opting in for higher education, compared to France at just 38.2 per cent and Germany at 31.5 per cent.

In Europe, the number of people aged 25-74 years in higher education has been rising. The data shows that the percentage increased from 19.1 per cent in 2004 to 31.8 per cent in 2022.

The UK is considered one of the top education destinations in the world, with its Russell Group Universities including the highly sought-after Oxford and Cambridge.

The University of Oxford has taught some of the world’s most esteemed people, Oscar Wilde, Nigella Lawson, Emma Watson and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to name a few.

Cambridge University is no different, with impressive alumni such as Professor Stephen Hawking, Alan Turing, and Charles Darwin, and more recently actors such as Thandi Newton and Tom Hiddleston.

Read the list of the top 10 smartest European countries below.