In this open access volume, the editors identify the trajecto­ries and pat­terns displayed by education systems and investigate the causes of change from a global and historical perspective. The contributors argue that the emergence and de­velopment of educa­tion systems can be traced back to inherent national factors, as well as to the interna­tional diffusion of ideas. The research presented in this volume is a wide-ranging analysis and explana­tion of the dynamics of emergence, diffusion, and change in relation to state educa­tion systems. The chapters offer an empirical investigation into whether the global diffusion of West­ern-rational educational content and organizational forms occurs as expected by neoinstitu­tionalist theory, or whether culturally specific developmen­tal paths dominate in different parts of the world. The book will be of interest to students and researchers in various social science disci­plines, including social policy, education, sociology, political science, international relations, organizational the­ory, and economics.