higher education

noun

Definition of higher educationnext
as in education
attendance as a student at a college or university Students and their parents worry about the rising cost of higher education.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of higher education Trust in higher education is also waning, with 70% of Americans saying that higher education is heading in the wrong direction, according to a 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center. — Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 3 July 2026 However, the report says that nearly 80% of college graduates in California see a positive return on their investment in higher education within 10 years of graduation. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 Advertisement Third, higher education has to take adult learners seriously. — Jeffrey Selingo, Time, 2 July 2026 Bell echoed that message throughout his public appearances, repeatedly noting that Alabama had dismantled its DEI office after state lawmakers prohibited such programs and pledged to continue Florida’s higher education reforms if confirmed. — Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for higher education
Recent Examples of Synonyms for higher education
  1. education
  2. schooling
  3. tuition
  4. higher learning
  5. teaching
Noun
  • The Halftime Show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Fund, set to raise $100 million to expand access to education and football for youth worldwide.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • Shaun Harper, a USC education professor, warned that restoring the tests would hand the White House a fresh weapon to portray UC as illegally practicing affirmative action.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of education
Noun
  • George begun his schooling at a Montessori preschool in Norfolk when William and Kate lived mostly at Anmer Hall, their home on the royal family's Sandringham estate.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Relocation Friction Visas, family disruption, spousal employment and schooling considerations are among the most significant practical hurdles.
    — Paul Westall, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of schooling
Noun
  • Many top-drawer private colleges and universities post sticker prices of $70,000 to $80,000 for tuition alone.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Students from the Northeast and West Coast flocked to campuses across the SEC and ACC, drawn by warm weather, school spirit, growing job markets, lower tuition costs, and highly visible social media trends like RushTok.
    — Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of tuition
Noun
  • Venus and Jupiter align in Cancer in the part of your chart governing long journeys, higher learning, and international exploration, making the first two weeks especially ripe for immersing yourself in a new culture and simply having a wonderful time.
    — Kirah Tabourn, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 May 2026
  • As Ohio’s largest city, Columbus has always been a hub for business, higher learning, and innovation.
    — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 13 May 2026
Definition of higher learning
Noun
  • The city has argued in court filings that the ordinance didn’t specifically ban teaching yoga in its parks, but required people seeking to engage in commercial activity or lectures to obtain a permit.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Noncertified employees – staff like bus drivers, cafeteria workers and teaching assistants – will get a 3% raise.
    — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026
Definition of teaching

Browse Nearby Words

higher
higher education
higher learning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Higher education.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/higher%20education. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on higher education

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about higher education

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All