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 The results illustrate the fraught relationship Americans have with higher education. — Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026 Yesterday, Ken Griffin announced a $3 billion gift to Carnegie Mellon University, the largest gift by an individual in the history of American higher education. — Michael Simas, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 For students planning to attend a higher education institution in California next fall, the applications for financial aid are now open. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026 India has about 365 million people aged 15 to 29, the world’s largest youth population, and the number of young people pursuing higher education has grown faster than the supply of jobs that match their qualifications and expectations. — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 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
  • Colleges must remember that they have been set up to provide people with an education that stretches their cognitive abilities while preparing them for whatever comes next.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Many investors have competing financial goals, such as saving for retirement, funding a child's college education, paying off student loans or buying a new home.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of education
Noun
  • Beijing envisions a comprehensive AI education system that spans all levels of schooling and extends to the broader public.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • His gotcha moment became a schooling by Klobuchar on basketball, turning the tables on the age-old art of mansplaining.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of schooling
Noun
  • Funds in the accounts can be used for a variety of qualifying educational expenses including tuition at colleges and trade schools as well as qualifying professional apprenticeships.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Berry is responsible for their son's private school tuition, 100% of his extracurricular activities and his health care.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of tuition
Noun
  • The future of higher learning is not about students traveling to universities.
    — Habib Al Souleiman, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of higher learning
Noun
  • Their duties vary in their focus on research, clinical care and teaching.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The hair that inspired Kurin was one of three found in that manuscript, which was not actually a Bible but was Jefferson’s attempt to cut-and-paste a volume of the moral teachings of Jesus without reference to miracles or the supernatural.
    — Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on higher education

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about higher education

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All