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Graduates at the upper secondary and tertiary levels in 2005-2006

Never before have more students graduated from the tertiary level
There were 3,362 graduates with 3,388 graduations at the tertiary level of education in 2005-2006. Never before have more students graduated at the tertiary level of education in Iceland in one school year since Statistics Iceland started its data collection in 1995. The number of graduates increased by 453, or by 15.6% since the previous year. The number of female graduates increased by 281 (14.2%) while the number of males increased by 172 (18.4%). Females were two-thirds (67.1%) of graduates while males were one-third (32.9%) of all graduates. The age distribution of graduates was from 19 to 75 years old.

Never before have more students graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Iceland in one school year. A total of 15 Ph.D. students graduated, 7 males and 8 females. In addition, the number of graduates with a master’s degree in one school year has never been greater. Graduates with a master’s degree were 411, an increase of 119 from the previous year; or 40.8%. The number of females increased by 84 (49.7%) and the number of males by 35 (28.5%).

Graduations with a first university degree are most numerous, or 2,441, an increase of 261 from the previous year (12.0%).

More graduates than ever before from the upper secondary level
A total of 4,832 students graduated from the upper secondary level of education with 5,317 graduations during the school year 2005-2006. This is an increase of 31 graduates from the previous year, or by 0.7%. Never before have more students graduated from the upper secondary level in one school year in Iceland. Females were more numerous than males or 52.5% of graduates.

Graduations from various vocational programmes were 2,843. The largest number of graduations is in the field of manufacturing and construction, or 1,159, which includes many of the certified trades. The second largest field is the services, with 500 graduations. Graduates with the journeyman’s examination were 609, 12 more than during the school year 2004-2005.

The number of students completing the matriculation exam increased by 29 from the previous year
There were 2,452 graduates from 31 schools with a matriculation exam during the 2005-2006 school year, 29 more than in the previous year. Never before have more schools graduated students with the matriculation exam. In 2000-2001 students graduated from 30 schools with the matriculation exam. The number of males increased by 38, while the number of females decreased by 9 from the previous year. In the school year 2003-2004 the proportion of students completing the matriculation exam passed the 60% mark for the first time and this school year reached 61.1%. It is noticeable how large the proportion of female students completing this exam is compared to male students. In 2005-2006 1,450 female students completed this exam, 73.3% of the 20 year old age group and 1,002 males; 49.2% of the 20 year old age group.

About the data
Statistics Iceland now publishes data on graduations for the first time in Iceland according to the international classification of education ISCED97 (International Standard Classification of Education). The ISCED97 classification replaces the former ISCED76 classification. ISCED97 is based on two independent dimensions which together depict the level of education from pre-primary education to the doctorate level, and the field of education according to the content of the educational programme. Previously the content of the educational programmes was classified according to a classification made by Statistics Iceland, but now the fields of study according to ISCED97 are used. In ISCED97 the classification of the upper secondary level is unchanged from ISCED76 and is called ISCED3. Graduations, which previously were classified at the tertiary level and included non-university programmes in data published by Statistics Iceland are now split up into three levels: Post-secondary non-tertiary level (ISCED4), the first stage of tertiary education (or tertiary level, ISCED5) and the second stage of tertiary education (or doctorate level, ISCED6).

Statistics
  Upper secondary schools
   Universities