Only 23% of Romanians aged 25 to 34 have higher education degrees, whereas the European average is 43%.

In some countries, over 60% of young people have this level of education. In Romania, many believe that college does not guarantee a well-paid job, and employers say that universities do not prepare graduates for the jobs that are needed.

Ciprian is 23 years old and works in fashion design. He did not graduate from college and believes it wouldn't have helped him even if he had in Romania.

Ciprian: "It doesn't help me at all. I feel like if I finish college, I will get a job with a salary of 3,000 lei. Abroad, if I did the same degree, in fashion design, which is what I want to do, I would definitely find a well-paid job".

Carina enrolled in college without attending classes, just to participate in an exchange program in the United States.

Carina: "I had to have two jobs here in Cluj to support myself. And most colleges are quite expensive".

Less than a quarter of Romanians aged 25 to 34 are college graduates. Specifically, 23% of them have higher education degrees, although the average in the European Union is almost twice as high.

Low rates are also seen in Hungary (29%) and Italy (31%). In 13 other countries, the rates are above average – for instance, Ireland has a rate of 63%, according to last year's data.

Romania's gap with other countries, inherited from the communist period, has either persisted or increased, also due to strong migration.

Many young people study abroad and are counted there, not in Romania. Romanian employers say that unfortunately, our universities do not prepare young people for the jobs needed.

Elena Antoneac, human resources specialist: "The reason we got here is that young people no longer trust the educational system. They prefer to study abroad or take courses on their own and get jobs, especially in IT, where if you know one or two programming languages, no one asks for a diploma".

On the other hand, economists say that higher education - although it does not guarantee a job - increases the chances of a better standard of living.

Mihai Roman, macroeconomics professor at ASE: "There is a direct correlation between income and education level - those with less education are more likely to become unemployed. Better collaboration between employers and universities could lead to an increase in the number of graduates who find a place in the labor market".

According to Eurostat, there are more female college graduates than male ones, both in Romania and in all other EU countries. On average, half of the women have attended college.