Colombia Education System Changes & Policy Tracker
Colombia has a nationally regulated education system covering preschool, basic, upper secondary, vocational, technical-technological and higher education. The Ministry of National Education sets policy and quality frameworks, while ICFES manages major national assessments and DANE publishes official education statistics. Education tracking in Colombia should pay close attention to territorial calendars, assessment policy, higher education recognition, rural access, vocational training and digital learning programs.
Country Education Profile
| Official Name | Republic of Colombia |
|---|---|
| ISO Code | CO |
| Region | Americas |
| Subregion | South America |
| Capital / Seat | Bogotá |
| Compulsory Education | Compulsory education is generally defined for children from ages 5 to 15 and includes one compulsory preschool transition year plus nine years of basic education. |
| School Structure | The Colombian system includes initial education, preschool education, basic education divided into five years of primary and four years of lower secondary, two years of upper secondary education called educación media, and higher education. Educación media leads to the Bachiller qualification. |
| Academic Year | Most public schools follow Calendar A, usually starting between January and February and ending in November or December. Some private and international schools follow Calendar B, generally from August or September to June or July. The school calendar normally includes at least 40 weeks of academic work. |
| Main Exams | The main national assessment body is ICFES. Key assessments include Saber 3°, 5°, 7° and 9° for basic education, Saber 11° at the end of upper secondary education, and Saber Pro and Saber TyT for higher education and technical-technological programs. |
| Higher Education | Higher education is regulated by the Ministry of National Education. Institutions and programs are recorded through SNIES, while quality accreditation is supported by the National Accreditation Council. The system includes technical professional, technological, university undergraduate, specialization, master's and doctoral programs. |
| Vocational Education | Vocational and technical education is provided through upper-secondary technical pathways, higher education technical and technological programs, Education for Work and Human Development, and the national training agency SENA. |
| Digital Education | Colombia uses the Colombia Aprende portal as a national digital learning resource for teachers, students, school leaders and families. Digital inclusion and school technology support are also linked to programs such as Computadores para Educar. |
| Governance | Education policy is led nationally by the Ministry of National Education. Service delivery for preschool, basic and upper secondary education is administered through certified territorial education authorities, so calendars and operational decisions may vary by department, district or municipality. |
| International Student Note | International students should verify that higher education institutions and programs are officially recognized through SNIES and confirm visa, admission and credential recognition requirements with the relevant institution and Colombian authorities. |
| Last Verified | 2026-07-06 |
Latest Education Changes
Administrative Guidance Issued for Indigenous Education System Implementation (Colombia, June 2026)
Circular 035 of 30 June 2026 issued administrative guidance for transforming or adjusting educational establishments under the Indigenous Own Education System. It directs certified territorial education entities to coordinate with Indigenous authorities and to recognize own-government decisions in official acts and education data systems.
Inspector Appointed for University of Medellín Governance Recovery (Colombia, June 2026)
The Ministry of National Education declared special vigilance over the University of Medellín and appointed an in situ inspector. The decision responded to the operation of the Consiliatura with only six of eleven statutory members, which affected institutional decision-making.
More Than 26,300 Teacher and School Leader Vacancies Set for National Merit Contest (Colombia, June 2026)
The Ministry of National Education and the National Civil Service Commission announced progress on the next merit contest for teachers and school leaders. More than 26,300 definitive vacancies reported by certified territorial entities in SIMO will be offered under Decree 915 of 2016.
Public Participation Opened for Arts in Classrooms Policy (Colombia, June 2026)
The education and culture ministries opened a public participation process to formulate the policy that will develop Law 2555 of 2025, known as Artes al Aula. The process uses a microsite and regional meetings in six territories to collect input for the policy document.
INTEP Authorized to Become the University Institution of Roldanillo (Colombia, June 2026)
Resolution 016283 of 19 June 2026 authorized the academic-character change of the Professional Technical Education Institute of Roldanillo into the University Institution of Roldanillo, UNINTEP. The institution serves more than 8,400 students across Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, and Quindío.
Free Registration Fees Approved for Public Higher Education Applicants (Colombia, June 2026)
Decree 0617 of 2026 added rules to Decree 1075 of 2015 so eligible applicants can receive public financing for registration fees at state or official higher education institutions. The measure applies to undergraduate admissions and is tied to vulnerability criteria, budget availability, and an operating regulation.
Free Degree Fees Approved for Eligible Public Higher Education Graduands (Colombia, June 2026)
Decree 0616 of 2026 regulated free degree fees for eligible students completing undergraduate programs at state or official higher education institutions. The measure covers the administrative payment tied to graduation and sets eligibility, prioritization, and resource rules.
University of Amazonia Granted Six-Year High-Quality Institutional Accreditation (Colombia, June 2026)
The Ministry of National Education granted the University of Amazonia institutional high-quality accreditation for six years, based on a favorable concept from the National Accreditation Council. The decision recognizes institutional quality conditions across teaching, research, and social outreach.
Monthly Change Archive
Colombia Education System Statistics
This module summarizes Colombia’s education system using national school census data, Ministry of National Education information, SNIES higher education records, ICFES assessment information, OECD indicators, UNESCO UIS SDG 4 indicators, and World Bank/UIS finance indicators. Source years differ because school census, higher education, assessment, finance, and international datasets are collected on separate cycles.
Education System Snapshot
Snapshot values use the latest verified national source year available for each indicator. School data refer to formal education sites offering preschool, basic, media, CLEI, and flexible education models unless a note states otherwise.
Student Pathway Through Colombian Education
The pathway follows the Ministry of National Education description of the system: early childhood, preschool, basic education, media education, and higher education. Ages are typical, not a school-level admission guarantee.
Governance and Data Responsibility
Colombia has national education regulation with territorial and institutional operation. The cards separate policy, statistics, assessment, and higher education data roles.
Ministry of National Education
Sets national education policy, regulates the school system and higher education, and publishes official data resources through ministry systems.
DANE
Produces official formal education statistics from the C600 census for preschool, basic, media, CLEI, flexible models, teachers, sites, ICT, and internal efficiency indicators.
Territorial education authorities
Manage local education service delivery under national rules. National tables should not be read as a department, municipality, or school ranking.
ICFES
Administers national education assessments, including Saber 11, Saber 3°, 5°, 7° and 9°, Saber Pro, Saber TyT, Pre Saber, and validation exams.
SNIES
Collects higher education administrative records reported by higher education institutions for enrollment, institutions, programs, entrants, graduates, and related variables.
Higher education institutions
Report official records to SNIES and apply institution-level admission rules using the Bachiller credential, the State exam, and program rules where applicable.
School Enrollment by Education Level
National enrollment reported by DANE for 2024 across preschool, basic primary, basic secondary, and media education.
DANE level totals include source-defined combinations of traditional education, CLEI, and flexible models. Values should not be merged with higher education enrollment because SNIES uses a separate source system.
Chart analysis
- Basic primary is the largest reported school level, with 3,965,964 students in 2024.
- Basic secondary follows with 3,115,931 students in the same source year.
- Media education covers the final school route before the Bachiller credential and Saber 11.
Teachers with Academic Assignment by Level
DANE teacher headcount by level in formal education, 2024.
Teacher values are headcounts with academic assignment. They should not be treated as full-time-equivalent values unless the source states that definition.
Chart analysis
- Basic primary has the largest reported teacher count among levels shown.
- Preschool reports 53,292 teachers, while CLEI reports 12,321.
- DANE reports that 66.0% of teachers with academic assignment were women in 2024.
National Education System Indicators
Indicators combine school census data, official system descriptions, higher education records, assessment information, and international education indicators. Source years are shown row by row.
| Area | Indicator | Value | Unit | Source year | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System structure | Education system route | Early childhood to higher education | Route | Updated 2015 | MEN | Official ministry description of national level sequence. |
| System structure | Basic primary duration | 5 | Grades | Updated 2015 | MEN | Grades 1–5 in basic education. |
| System structure | Basic secondary duration | 4 | Grades | Updated 2015 | MEN | Grades 6–9 in basic education. |
| System structure | Media education duration | 2 | Grades | Updated 2015 | MEN | Usually grades 10–11 and ends with the Bachiller credential. |
| Compulsory education | Compulsory education duration | 11 | Years | 2022 policy indicator | OECD Education at a Glance 2024 | Reported as ages 5 to 16. |
| Compulsory education | Starting age | 5 | Age | 2022 policy indicator | OECD Education at a Glance 2024 | Starting age in the OECD compulsory education indicator. |
| Compulsory education | Ending age | 16 | Age | 2022 policy indicator | OECD Education at a Glance 2024 | Ending age in the OECD compulsory education indicator. |
| Higher education | Higher education levels | Undergraduate and postgraduate | Levels | Updated 2015 | MEN | Undergraduate includes technical professional, technological, and professional university programs. |
| Enrollment | Total school enrollment | 9,328,665 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Preschool, basic, media, CLEI, and flexible models in the DANE operation. |
| Enrollment | Official-sector enrollment | 7,506,859 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Official sector includes own official enrollment and contracted enrollment under the source definition. |
| Enrollment | Non-official enrollment | 1,821,806 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Non-official sector as reported in the DANE census. |
| Enrollment | Official-sector enrollment share | 80.5% | Percent | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Share of total school enrollment. |
| Enrollment | Non-official enrollment share | 19.5% | Percent | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Share of total school enrollment. |
| Enrollment | Urban school enrollment | 7,090,675 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Enrollment served at educational sites in urban areas. |
| Enrollment | Rural school enrollment | 2,237,990 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Enrollment served at educational sites in rural areas. |
| Enrollment by level | Preschool enrollment | 882,887 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | DANE chart total includes source-defined preschool categories. |
| Enrollment by level | Basic primary enrollment | 3,965,964 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Includes traditional education, relevant CLEI cycles, and flexible models under the DANE note. |
| Enrollment by level | Basic secondary enrollment | 3,115,931 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Includes traditional education, relevant CLEI cycles, and flexible models under the DANE note. |
| Enrollment by level | Media enrollment | 1,363,883 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Includes traditional education, relevant CLEI cycles, and flexible models under the DANE note. |
| Traditional school route | Traditional preschool enrollment | 873,358 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | School-based preschool; excludes flexible education models. |
| Traditional school route | Traditional basic primary enrollment | 3,502,846 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Traditional route only; excludes CLEI and flexible models. |
| Traditional school route | Traditional basic secondary enrollment | 2,760,502 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Traditional route only; excludes CLEI and flexible models. |
| Traditional school route | Traditional media enrollment | 1,086,871 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Traditional media route; normalist grades 12 and 13 are a small part of the reported grade distribution. |
| Adult and flexible routes | CLEI enrollment | 497,330 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Integrated special learning cycles for adults. |
| Adult and flexible routes | Flexible education model enrollment | 607,758 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Flexible models across preschool, primary, secondary, and media categories. |
| Inclusion reporting | Students in special population categories recorded by DANE | 1,699,243 | Students | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Aggregate DANE category count; not a performance measure. |
| Teachers | Teachers with academic assignment | 453,249 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Teacher headcount with academic assignment. |
| Teachers | Official-sector teachers | 322,637 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 71.2% of teachers with academic assignment. |
| Teachers | Non-official teachers | 130,612 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 28.8% of teachers with academic assignment. |
| Teachers | Women among teachers with academic assignment | 66.0% | Percent | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | DANE reported women and men shares for the total teacher group. |
| Teachers by level | Preschool teachers | 53,292 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Teachers with academic assignment. |
| Teachers by level | Basic primary teachers | 178,009 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Teachers with academic assignment. |
| Teachers by level | Basic secondary teachers | 146,220 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Teachers with academic assignment. |
| Teachers by level | Media teachers | 63,407 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Teachers with academic assignment. |
| Teachers by level | CLEI teachers | 12,321 | Teachers | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Teachers with academic assignment. |
| Educational sites | Educational sites studied | 52,004 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 51,413 completed C600 forms plus 591 imputed sites. |
| Educational sites | Official-sector sites | 42,791 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 82.3% of sites studied. |
| Educational sites | Non-official sites | 9,213 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 17.7% of sites studied. |
| Educational sites | Urban sites | 16,976 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 32.6% of sites studied. |
| Educational sites | Rural sites | 35,028 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 67.4% of sites studied. |
| Educational sites by offer | Sites offering basic primary | 46,689 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | A site may offer more than one level. |
| Educational sites by offer | Sites offering preschool | 40,523 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | A site may offer more than one level. |
| Educational sites by offer | Sites offering basic secondary | 14,729 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | A site may offer more than one level. |
| Educational sites by offer | Sites offering media | 11,538 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | A site may offer more than one level. |
| Educational sites by offer | Sites offering CLEI | 4,075 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Adult education cycle provision. |
| School schedules | Total school sessions reported | 63,417 | Sessions | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Sites may serve students in one or more sessions. |
| School schedules | Morning sessions | 39,538 | Sessions | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 62.3% of reported sessions. |
| School schedules | Single-day sessions | 9,745 | Sessions | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 15.4% of reported sessions. |
| Digital education resources | Sites with any ICT good or service | 48,587 | Sites | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | 93.4% of all sites studied. |
| Digital education resources | Official-sector sites with internet among ICT sites | 63.8% | Percent | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Among official-sector sites that had at least one ICT good or service. |
| Digital education resources | Rural sites with internet among ICT sites | 57.2% | Percent | 2024 | DANE Formal Education | Among rural sites that had at least one ICT good or service. |
| Internal efficiency | National approval rate | 90.9% | Percent | 2023 | DANE Formal Education | Internal efficiency reference period is 2023 in the 2024 DANE bulletin. |
| Internal efficiency | National failure rate | 5.9% | Percent | 2023 | DANE Formal Education | DANE defines the rate using failed students over approved, failed, and dropout denominator. |
| Internal efficiency | National dropout rate | 3.2% | Percent | 2023 | DANE Formal Education | DANE defines the rate using dropouts over approved, failed, and dropout denominator. |
| Higher education | Total higher education enrollment | 2,553,560+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | MEN reported the total as more than 2,553,560 students. |
| Higher education | Higher education institutions | 305 | Institutions | 2024 | SNIES | IES count reported with official/private split. |
| Higher education | Official higher education institutions | 87 | Institutions | 2024 | SNIES | Official IES count. |
| Higher education | Private higher education institutions | 218 | Institutions | 2024 | SNIES | Private IES count. |
| Higher education access | Gross higher education coverage | 57.53% | Percent | 2024 | SNIES | SNIES national coverage indicator for higher education. |
| Higher education access | First-course entrants | 555,000+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | MEN reported more than 555,000 first-course entrants. |
| Technical and technological higher education | Technical program enrollment | 95,000+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | MEN reported technical enrollment rising from about 90,000 to more than 95,000 students. |
| Technical and technological higher education | Technological program enrollment | 610,000+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | MEN reported technological enrollment rising to more than 610,000 students. |
| Assessment | Saber 11 exam areas | 5 | Tests | 2025 guide / 2026 page | ICFES | Critical Reading, Mathematics, Social and Citizenship, Natural Sciences, and English, plus a socioeconomic questionnaire. |
| Assessment | Saber 11 standard booklet duration | 9 | Hours | 2025 guide | ICFES | Two sessions of 4 hours and 30 minutes each in the standard booklet guide. |
| International completion indicators | Primary completion rate | 94.7% | Percent | 2023 | UNESCO UIS SDG 4 profile | Both sexes; internationally reported completion indicator. |
| International completion indicators | Lower secondary completion rate | 81.8% | Percent | 2023 | UNESCO UIS SDG 4 profile | Both sexes; internationally reported completion indicator. |
| International completion indicators | Upper secondary completion rate | 75.1% | Percent | 2023 | UNESCO UIS SDG 4 profile | Both sexes; internationally reported completion indicator. |
| Out-of-school indicators | Primary out-of-school rate | 3.4% | Percent | 2023 | UNESCO UIS SDG 4 profile | Household survey data series. |
| Out-of-school indicators | Lower secondary out-of-school rate | 4.3% | Percent | 2023 | UNESCO UIS SDG 4 profile | Household survey data series. |
| Out-of-school indicators | Upper secondary out-of-school rate | 12.8% | Percent | 2023 | UNESCO UIS SDG 4 profile | Household survey data series. |
| Finance | Government expenditure on education | 3.92% | Share of GDP | 2021 | World Bank / UIS | General government education expenditure indicator; finance source year is older than school census data. |
Education Levels and ISCED Alignment
Level names are translated into English while preserving the Colombian route. ISCED alignment is approximate and should be checked against source definitions for cross-country comparison.
| Level | Typical age | Years or grades | ISCED alignment | Authority or data source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early childhood education | Before preschool route | Service-based | ISCED 0, depending on program type | MEN | Part of the national route described by the Ministry of National Education. |
| Preschool education | 3–5 | Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, transition | ISCED 0 | MEN / DANE | Transition is the compulsory pre-primary grade in the usual route. |
| Basic primary education | Usually 6–10 | Grades 1–5 | ISCED 1 | MEN / DANE | Five-grade first cycle of basic education. |
| Basic secondary education | Usually 11–14 | Grades 6–9 | ISCED 2 | MEN / DANE | Four-grade second cycle of basic education. |
| Media education | Usually 15–16 | Grades 10–11 | ISCED 3 | MEN / DANE / ICFES | Ends with the Bachiller credential; Saber 11 is linked to the end of this route. |
| Normalist media route | After grade 11 in participating schools | Grades 12–13 in normalist sites | Usually upper-secondary or post-secondary note required | DANE | DANE notes that grades 12 and 13 correspond to normalist educational sites. |
| CLEI adult education route | Adult and special learning-cycle route | Cycles I–VI | Depends on cycle | DANE | Reported separately by DANE and also included in some level totals. |
| Technical professional higher education | Post-media | Undergraduate training level | Tertiary, program-dependent | MEN / SNIES | One of the three undergraduate training levels described by MEN. |
| Technological higher education | Post-media | Undergraduate training level | Tertiary, program-dependent | MEN / SNIES | Reported in SNIES when it is a higher education program. |
| Professional university programs | Post-media | Undergraduate training level | ISCED 6 or equivalent, program-dependent | MEN / SNIES | Access requires the Bachiller credential and the State exam under the MEN description. |
| Postgraduate education | After undergraduate completion | Specialization, master’s, doctoral | ISCED 7–8 depending on program | MEN / SNIES | MEN lists specializations, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. |
Exams and Transitions
Colombia uses school-based progression in many school transitions and national assessment through ICFES at defined stages. Higher education admission is institution-based within national requirements.
| Transition | Exam or process | Typical stage | Managing authority | Purpose | Source note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool to primary | School admission and progression process | Transition grade to grade 1 | Schools and territorial authorities under MEN rules | Entry into basic primary education. | MEN level structure; DANE enrollment reporting. |
| Primary to basic secondary | School-based progression | Grade 5 to grade 6 | Schools and territorial authorities | Movement from primary to lower-secondary cycle of basic education. | MEN five-plus-four basic education structure. |
| Basic secondary completion | Completion of grade 9 route | End of basic secondary | Schools under national rules | Completion of the basic education route before media education. | MEN level sequence; DANE internal efficiency indicators. |
| Media completion | Bachiller credential | End of grade 11 | Schools under national rules | School-leaving credential before higher education or work routes. | MEN states that media ends with the Bachiller credential. |
| National state exam | Saber 11 | Final stage of media education | ICFES | Measures media education formation and provides a national result used in higher education processes. | ICFES exam page and orientation guide. |
| Higher education admission | Bachiller credential plus State exam and institutional rules | After media education | Higher education institutions under MEN regulation | Access to formal undergraduate programs. | MEN higher education levels page. |
| Higher education quality assessment | Saber Pro | Near completion of university professional programs | ICFES | Assessment of higher education competencies. | ICFES assessment listing. |
| Technical and technological higher education assessment | Saber TyT | Near completion of technical professional or technological programs | ICFES | Assessment of competencies in technical and technological higher education routes. | ICFES assessment listing. |
| Academic high school validation | Validation of Bachillerato Académico | Alternative certification route | ICFES | Certifies competencies for people who did not complete the formal school route. | ICFES assessment listing. |
| Learning monitoring in school grades | Saber 3°, 5°, 7° and 9° | Selected school grades | ICFES | Measures learning processes and areas of knowledge in selected grades. | ICFES assessment listing. |
Higher Education and Technical Route Indicators
Higher education data come from SNIES administrative records reported by higher education institutions. These values should not be added to DANE school census totals.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Source year | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher education enrollment | 2,553,560+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | Reported as more than 2,553,560 students. |
| Higher education enrollment annual change | 3.14% | Percent change | 2024 compared with 2023 | SNIES | Change in total higher education enrollment. |
| Higher education institutions | 305 | Institutions | 2024 | SNIES | IES count reported by MEN/SNIES. |
| Official IES | 87 | Institutions | 2024 | SNIES | Official higher education institutions. |
| Private IES | 218 | Institutions | 2024 | SNIES | Private higher education institutions. |
| Gross higher education coverage | 57.53% | Percent | 2024 | SNIES | National gross coverage indicator reported by MEN. |
| First-course entrants | 555,000+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | New entrants into higher education first course. |
| Technical program enrollment | 95,000+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | Technical higher education programs. |
| Technological program enrollment | 610,000+ | Students | 2024 | SNIES | Technological higher education programs. |
| Dual modality enrollment | 9,457 | Students | 2024 | SNIES | Dual modality reported as a growing modality after its incorporation in 2022. |
| In-person modality share | About 70% | Percent of higher education enrollment | 2024 | SNIES | MEN described in-person study as the main modality with close to 70% of enrollment. |
| Virtual modality annual change | 12.48% | Percent change | 2024 compared with 2023 | SNIES | Annual change in virtual higher education modality enrollment. |
Source-Year Crosswalk
The table explains which sources support each data area and why the source years do not match across all indicators.
| Data area | Source | Collection type | Source year | Coverage | Use in this module |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School enrollment, teachers, sites, ICT, schedules | DANE Formal Education (EDUC) 2024 Technical Bulletin | Official census operation | 2024 | Legally constituted educational sites offering preschool, basic, media, CLEI, and flexible models | School enrollment, teachers, sites, schedule, and ICT indicators. |
| Internal efficiency | DANE Formal Education (EDUC) 2024 Technical Bulletin | Administrative education statistics | 2023 reference period | Approval, failure, and dropout rates in the DANE school operation | Internal efficiency indicators with a separate source-year note. |
| Education system route | Ministry of National Education | Official system description | Updated 2015 page | National education structure | Pathway visual and education levels table. |
| Higher education levels | Ministry of National Education | Official system description | Updated 2015 page | Undergraduate and postgraduate levels | Higher education level definitions and transition notes. |
| Higher education enrollment and institutions | SNIES / Ministry of National Education | Administrative records from higher education institutions | 2024 | Students and IES in the higher education information system | Higher education enrollment, institutions, modality, and coverage indicators. |
| Assessment | ICFES | Assessment authority information | 2025 guide / 2026 page | Saber 11 and other national assessments | Exams and transitions table. |
| Compulsory education | OECD Education at a Glance 2024 | International education indicator | 2022 policy indicator | Duration and ages of compulsory education | Compulsory education snapshot and table rows. |
| Completion and out-of-school indicators | UNESCO UIS SDG 4 country profile | International SDG 4 indicator dataset | 2023 for selected indicators | Completion rates and household survey out-of-school rates | International comparability indicators. |
| Finance | World Bank / UNESCO UIS | International finance indicator | 2021 | Government education expenditure as a share of GDP | Finance row with older source-year warning. |
Data Interpretation Notes
These notes explain how to read the indicators without merging incompatible definitions.
School census and higher education records are separate
DANE school figures cover preschool, basic, media, CLEI, and flexible education models. SNIES higher education figures come from higher education institutions and use a separate administrative system.
Level totals and traditional-route counts differ
DANE level totals can include traditional education plus CLEI and flexible models. Traditional-route counts exclude those additional routes when the bulletin states that limitation.
Urban, rural, official, and non-official are service categories
These categories describe the location or sector of service delivery. They are not quality labels and should not be used as rankings.
Assessment indicators have a separate purpose
Saber 11 and other ICFES assessments measure selected competencies at defined stages. They are not interchangeable with enrollment, spending, or completion indicators.
International indicators use harmonized definitions
UNESCO UIS, OECD, and World Bank indicators support cross-country comparison, but their definitions may differ from national administrative reporting.
Finance values use older source years
The education expenditure row uses a 2021 World Bank/UIS value. It should not be treated as a 2024 finance value or compared directly with 2024 enrollment as a same-year ratio.
DANE Formal Education Statistics
Supports school enrollment, sector and zone splits, teacher counts, educational sites, schedules, ICT indicators, and internal efficiency indicators.
DANE Formal Education 2024 Technical Bulletin
Supports 2024 census values for 52,004 educational sites, 9,328,665 students, 453,249 teachers, and related tables.
Ministry of National Education: Colombian Education System
Supports the national level sequence: early childhood, preschool, basic education, media education, and higher education.
Ministry of National Education: Higher Education Levels
Supports undergraduate and postgraduate level definitions, including technical professional, technological, professional, specialization, master’s, and doctoral levels.
SNIES Higher Education Statistics 2024
Supports higher education enrollment, IES counts, gross coverage, first-course entrants, technical and technological program enrollment, and modality notes.
ICFES Saber 11 Information
Supports assessment descriptions, Saber 11 areas, question format, and exam route notes.
OECD Education at a Glance 2024: Colombia
Supports compulsory education duration and ages, with source-year labeling for the policy indicator.
UNESCO UIS SDG 4 Country Profile
Supports completion and out-of-school indicators under internationally reported SDG 4 definitions.
World Bank / UNESCO UIS Education Finance Indicator
Supports the government education expenditure indicator and its definition as a share of GDP.
Values are reported in the source unit and rounded only where the source uses rounded wording, such as “more than” or “about.” DANE school-level values, SNIES higher education values, ICFES assessment details, OECD compulsory education indicators, UNESCO UIS SDG 4 indicators, and World Bank/UIS finance indicators are not collected on one shared calendar. School-year, calendar-year, administrative, survey-based, and international indicator values should be read with their source-year labels.
Do not merge indicators from different years, definitions, sectors, collection methods, or source systems without a stated method. DANE school census data, SNIES higher education records, ICFES assessment information, OECD policy indicators, UNESCO UIS SDG 4 indicators, and World Bank/UIS finance values serve different measurement purposes.