This study presents the first large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of educational attainment (EduYears) in East Asian (EAS) individuals (n = 176,400) and a cross-ancestry meta-analysis with European (EUR) ancestry data (n = 766,345). High genetic correlation and transferability were found between EAS and EUR populations. Similar functional enrichment and cross-trait genetic correlations were observed. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping improved credible set identification, and polygenic prediction analysis demonstrated cross-population transferability. The study highlights the need for diverse ancestry research to understand the genetic basis of educational attainment.

Tzu-Ting Chen, Jaeyoung Kim, Max Lam, Yi-Fang Chuang, Yen-Ling Chiu, Shu-Chin Lin, Sang-Hyuk Jung, Beomsu Kim, Soyeon Kim, Chamlee Cho, Injeong Shim, Sanghyeon Park, Yeeun Ahn, Aysu Okbay, Hyemin Jang, Hee Jin Kim, Sang Won Seo, Woong-Yang Park, Tian Ge, Hailiang Huang, Yen-Chen Anne Feng, Yen-Feng Lin, Woojae Myung, Chia-Yen Chen, Hong-Hee Won