Tertiary education in the Philippines is increasingly less cosmopolitan. From a height of 5,284 foreign of students in 1995-1996 the number steadily declined to 2,323 in 2000-2001, the last year CHED published numbers on its website.[30] In 2000-2001, 19.45% were from the US, 16.96 from South Korea, 13.00 % from Taiwan, and the rest from various other countries.[30] Many Korean students come to the Philippines to study English for 6 months or more, then transfer abroad to other countries for degrees. Some Koreans complete their tertiary education in the Philippines, especially in the temperate climate of Baguio, in the Cordillera highlands.
Higher education is taken to include undergraduate and postgraduate education, while vocational education and training beyond secondary education is known as further education in the United Kingdom, or continuing education in the United States.
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school.