Education is the most important pillar in the development of a society, because it forms the attitude of the members of society, their training and their ability to adapt effectively to the changes imposed by society. Studies on education show that those economies that have invested in education over the years have obtained the best results in the field of social and economic development. Therefore the EU 2020 strategy aims to create a knowledge-based society, where education is a central pillar. Among the indicators followed as strategic target to be achieved by 2020 there are early school leavers, which should be less than 10% and tertiary educational attainment, which must be at least 40% for the age group 30-34 years. Our paper analyses Romania's position in relation to the other European countries in terms of education and measures taken to improve education strategy with regard to meeting the Europe 2020 targets. Strengths and weaknesses of the Romanian education system are captured, especially in terms of higher education.