higher education

This term specifically refers to tertiary education, distinguishing it from primary and secondary schooling. It carries a formal register and is typically used in academic, governmental, or professional contexts to describe the systemic level of schooling that occurs after high school.

Because it describes a conceptual level of schooling or a general field of study, it is treated as an uncountable noun. One does not refer to "a higher education" or "higher educations" when discussing the system; instead, phrases like "a degree in" or "pursuing higher education" are used to denote individual progress within that system.