In spite of its many problems, Argentina's higher education managed to reach worldwide levels of excellence in the 1960s. Up to 2013 Argentina educated five Nobel Prize winners, three in the sciences: Luis Federico Leloir, Bernardo Houssay and César Milstein and two in peace: Carlos Saavedra Lamas and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, the highest number in Latin America surpassing countries economically more developed and populated as Ireland or Spain. In addition, as of 2010, Argentines are the only Latin Americans to have ever been honoured with a Rolf Schock Prize.
The Argentine population at large benefits from a relatively high level of educational attainment, by regional standards. Among those age 20 and over, the highest level attained, per the 2010 Census, was distributed thus:
| No formal education |
Incomplete primary |
Complete primary |
Incomplete secondary |
Complete secondary |
Incomplete tertiary |
Complete tertiary |
Incomplete university |
Complete university |
| % | 11.216% | 25.401% | 13.745% | 20.109% | 1.776% | 5.890% | 3.710% | 6.395% |