The Best 7 Countries in the World for IT Education

IT education has been one of the most competitive fields among countries. Tens of indexes, charts, and reports were released in the past 5 years on this topic. Research conducted by international and regional organizations always comes with other data, which, sometimes does not correspond to official figures. 

The most important in identifying the best countries for IT education is the end beneficiaries - young and skilled professionals willing to pursue a career in Information and Technology. 

For this reason, we invite you to discover the best 7 countries in the world that are able to provide the best IT education for children and youngsters based on objective criteria. 

When conducting this research, we took into consideration two criteria: 

• Education Quality Index  - 2022 Report
• Digital Competitiveness Index  - 2022 Report

A secondary role in naming the best countries in the world for IT education played the number of IT graduates and IT employees reported to the total number of graduates/employees in these countries. 

With these three criteria, we are able to evaluate the education system, the digitalization processes, and also how many opportunities a specific country offers to its newly graduates in the IT sector. 

Denmark

In 2022 Denmark took the leading position for the first time in history in the Digitalization Index - which measures among others how the government explains and implements digital practices among the population and companies.  

At the same time, Denmark has one of the best education systems in the world, leading the chart for Best Educational Systems - 2020 Global Citizens for Human Rights that measures 10 different levels of education for children, youngsters, and adults. 

On other relevant indicators, Denmark also holds leading positions, at least in the EU, where according to Wirtek Denmark is the #1 country in the ease of doing business, and #2 in the EU Digital Economy and Society Index. 

As of December 2022, Denmark has 5 universities in the Global Top 500 at Computer Science with the Technical University of Denmark having the highest rate in the country.

By combining all these stats together, Denmark is an emerging tech hub, that provides both younger and older generations equal opportunities in IT learning.

The Best Institution for Studying Information and Technology in Denmark are: 

• Copenhagen Business School
• Aalborg University
• Aarhus University
• Roskilde University
• Technical University of Denmark

Finland

Finland is another country that has one of the best IT education systems in the world. As of 2022, the Scandinavians gained 4 positions in the Digitalization Index - from 11th to 7th. 

In addition, Finland holds the 2nd global position in the Best Educational Systems - 2020 Global Citizens for Human Rights, next after Denmark, but it is widely known that the Finnish educational system overall is the best in the world. 

The EU Digital Economy and Society Index ranks Finland first in the 2022 chart that relies on 4  indicators: 

• Human Capital
• Connectivity
• Integration of Digital Technologies
• Digital Public Services

On the other hand, Finland is one of the most expensive countries in the world when it comes to education and living standards. Starting in 2017, non-EU/EEA students have to pay a tuition fee that varies between EUR2000-1200/year. On top of that, the living costs can be ~EUR10,000/year or EUR700-900/mo. 

Definitely, it pays off to graduate from a Finnish university, but we must say that not everyone allows studying in Finland. 

The good part is that tuition fees in Finland are by far not the most expensive, compared to the USA or Japan where prices can be up to 20 times higher. 

The Best Institution for Studying Information and Technology in Finland are:

• University of Turku
• University of Jyvaskyla
• Aalto University
• University of Oulu
• University of Tampere

Japan

According to the IMD Digital Competitiveness Index 2022, Japan holds the 29th position in the world. But this doesn’t mean that it’s not a top country for IT education. 

Since 1985 when the “International” era emerged, Japan focused on consolidating its national education system with a specific accent on the microelectronic and service industries - which were already a social condition according to a study from Virginia Technology University

The efforts that started back then, lead to a College & University enrollment rate of 30.6% and grew close to 60% in 2020 according to Statista

In 2021, the Japanese educational system was 7th in the world in the chart Countries with the Best Educational Systems - 2021 Best Countries Report outranking countries such as Australia, Sweden, and the Netherlands. 

Another indicator that points to Japan as a leading IT educational system is the number of tech researchers. According to Nippon Japan outranks the United States, Germany, France, and the UK by the number of researchers per 10,000 population with a ratio of 98.8 in 2022. 

The Best Institution for Studying Information and Technology in Japan are:

• University of Tokyo
• Tokyo Institute of Technology
• University of Tsukuba
• Kyoto University
• Keio University

Sweden

Compared to 2021, Sweden didn’t register any changes in the Digital Competitiveness Index this year remaining in third place in the world. However, this doesn’t mean that Sweden didn’t register any progress in this field. On the contrary - it managed to keep up with the digitalization trends. 

According to the Business Sweden the country’s ICT sector managed to enroll 6.1% of the population at the beginning of 2022, and also Sweden is the place where people have 4 times more digital devices connected than any other country in the world. 

The Best Institution for Studying Information and Technology in Sweden are:

• University of Gothenburg
• Linkoping University
• Chalmers University of Technology
• Uppsala University
• Stockholm University

When it comes to education, Sweden ranks top 9 in the Countries with the Best Educational Systems - 2021 Best Countries Report, behind Australia and just in front of the Netherlands. At the same time, Sweden ranks 5th in the Countries with the Best Educational Systems - 2020 Global Citizens for Human Rights Report. 

What makes Sweden a top country for IT education is actually its educational system, which consists of 4 stages, and its diverse school system for primary and secondary education. 

In addition to that, Sweden introduced mandatory certification for teachers as of December 2013. In this way, the country aimed and succeeded in increasing education standards. 

The USA

The United States is definitely one of the best countries for IT education. The number of top universities and colleges, Silicon Valley, and the America Dream all together create the perfect environment for many students. On top of that, the US is the place where work opportunities in the IT sector are not difficult to find, and better paid than in many other countries. At the same time, in the US there are over 19,000 active IT companies that hire skilled professionals.

The Digital Competitiveness Index ranked the US the 2nd in the world, which is 1 position lower compared to 2021. 

On the other hand, the Countries with the Best Educational Systems - 2021 Best Countries Report, ranked the US first. 

The biggest challenge students face is the enormous fees for college or universities. It is probably one of the most expensive countries in this direction, and, not every family can afford it. The average cost of tuition at a 4-year institution is $19,000, while at private universities the prices are on average $46,000 according to Education Data

The Best Institution for Studying Information and Technology in the United States are: 

• Harvard University
• MIT
• University of Maryland
• University of Minnesota
• University of California - Irvine

Canada

Canada is also on the list of the best IT education countries in the world. The Digital Competitiveness Index placed Canada the 10th on the list, up by 3 positions compared to 2021. Starting the pandemic and up to the end of 2022, the Canadian Government launched an entire system focused on process digitalization and includes among other topics The Digital Ambition Plan, the Digital Government response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Open Government database. 

We could definitely say that Canada is a model to other countries on how a country should bring its services to the digital field.  

In terms of education, Canada is the 4th country in the global ranking according to the Countries with the Best Educational Systems - 2021 Best Countries Report before France, Switzerland,  and Australia. Researches show that secondary education institutions in Canada offer up to 90% of e-learning programs from the entire curriculum. At the same time a Pulse Survey concluded that full digital or hybrid education can break down barriers for some youngsters, while it lifts barriers for others. Mainly because in digital education, the social component plays and important role in personal development. 

As for tuition fees in Canada, international students have to pay differently, depending on the university or college they choose. According to EduCanada undergraduates have to pay around $6,800/year while graduate students are charged at $21,000/year. 

The Best Institution for Studying Information and Technology in Canada are:

• University British of Colombia
• University of Calgary
• University of Toronto
• Western University
• University of Waterloo

Switzerland

Swiss educatinal system is also one of the best in the world, but at the same time very expensive. Before diving deeper into the pricing its worth telling that Switzerland holds the 5th place in the Digital Competitiveness Index as of 2022, and 6th place in the Countries with the Best Educational Systems - 2021 Best Countries Report. 

Switzerland digitalized many processes already - from social and government services to support for Small and Medium Enterprises

For 2023, the Government announced those three focus areas that digitalization will be deepened: 

• Healthcare
• Legislation
• Digital Sovereignty

At the same time, Switzerland has several platforms that encourage digital education, e-learning and studying ICT-related fields. Digital Switzerland or the Center for Digital Education are among the leading platforms that promote digital education. 

According to EduRank there are currently 6 top universities in Switzerland that are among the world’s leading in providing Information and Technology education. 

The Best Institution for Studying Information and Technology in Switzerland are:

• University o St. Gallen
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
• Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne
• University of Zurich
• University of Geneva