Higher Education Participation Rate in Indonesia Remains Low in 2021, Falling Short of Target

Indonesia's Gross Participation Rate (GPR) in higher education remains relatively low. In fact, the higher education GPR has not yet met the national target of 34.56 percent.

According to BPS data, the GPR in higher education in Indonesia in 2021 was only 31.19 percent. This means that higher education attainment has not reached one-third of the population within the active age range (19-23 years).

Based on gender proportions, the gross participation rate for males in higher education has reached 29 percent. Meanwhile, female participation is higher, reaching 33.42 percent.

Although still low, the higher education GPR has been increasing annually, as shown in the graph. In 2020, the higher education GPR in Indonesia was only 30.28 percent.

Unfortunately, Indonesia's higher education GPR lags behind several neighboring countries. According to World Bank data from 2020, the higher education GPR in Singapore reached 91 percent, Thailand 49 percent, and Malaysia 43 percent.

The government has implemented several scholarship programs, including the Bidikmisi scholarship, which later became the Kartu Indonesia Pintar Kuliah (KIP-K), and the LPDP (Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan) scholarship managed by the Ministry of Finance.

(read: Only 6% of Indonesians Have a Higher Education in June 2022)