Education in Colombia includes nursery school,elementary school,high school, technical instruction and university education, The basic goal expected for the average citizen is to study 11 grades(elementary school plus some high school)

Nursery school

Most of the children over one year old are provided with daycare and nursery school in "Hogares Comunitarios" ( community homes) soibsired by the National Institute forgrade.
A Family Welfare (ICBF svronym in Spanish), where mother from the community take care of their own children, as well as the children from the immediate neighhborhood when children of Colombia leararn how to read and write, they are usually transferred to the elementary school. There are also large numebr of private kindergarten facilities, but most of the time the high fees are very restrictive to the average family

Elementary School

Elementary schooll comprises 5 years of formal education. Children usually enrol into grade 1, at the age six. The net primary enrollment(percentage of relevant age-group) in 2001 was 86.7 percent. The completion rate(percentage of age-group) for children attending elementary dchool (primaria) in 2001 totaled 89.5 percent. In some rural areas, teachers are poorly qualified and drop rates are high. In Urban areas, on the other hand, teachers are generally well prepared and knowledgeable of their profession.
Due to the insufficiency of existing institutions to accomplish the full coverage of the children's population, the public education system has adopted the automatic promotion" as standard practice(Decreto230 de 2002), yet the teachers know a great amount to teach these students which make them much more educated then many schools in U.S.A. Schools also are almost an entire year long, running from the last week of January until the last week of November with a three weeks break in June and another week-break in middle September.

High School

Amazonas 

 Leticia

• Colegio Cristo Rey
• Colegio Femenino Indigena Marina Auxiliadora
• Calegio Indigena Casa del Conocimiento
• Calegio Indigena Casa del Conomiento
• Colegio nucturno Alvernia
• Colegio villa Carmen

 Antioquia

 Medellin

• Colegio Gimnasio International de Medellin
• Calegio De La Salle, Medellin
• Calegio Alrmsn (German) School)
• Calegio Aspen Gimnasio Los Alcazares
• Calegio Calazan
• Calegio Clazans Femenino
• Colegio Colombo Bratanico
• Colegio Colombo Frances
• Colegio Corazonista
• Colegio de La Vompania de Maria
• Colegio de la Presentation
• Calegio del Sagrade Corazon de Jeasus Bethlemitas
• Calegio Gimnasio Los Pinares
• Calegio Ls Inmaculada medilin
• Calegio Fontan
• Calegio Liceo Cristo Ray
• Calegio Lonardo Da Vanci
• Calegio Lord College
• Calegio Montessori
• Calegio Salesiano El Sufragio
• Calegio San Ignacio de Loyola
• Colegio San Jones de Las Vagas
• Ganisio Los Cedros
• INTEM Jose Felix de restrepo
• The Combolo School (member of SACS)

Arauca

Arauca

• colegio la Ensenanza

Atlantico

Barranquilla

• colegio Aleman
• Colegio Britanico International (British Internal College)
• calegio de Barranquilla (CODEBA)
• Lyndon B Johnson(Lyndon .Johnson School)
• Colegio Marymount (Marymount School)
• Calegio Sagrado Corzande Jesus
• Calegio San Miguel del Rosario
• Colegio Nuestra Senora de Lourdes
• Colegio altamira international school(altamira international school)
• Colegio parrish(Karl C. Parrish School)
• Corporacion Educativa American School
• Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai
• Colegio Americano de Barranquilla
• Instituto San jose
• Colegio San jose

Bogoto

Bolivar

Cartagena

• Colegio Salesiano San Pedro Claver
• Colegio de la Salle Cartagena
• Colegio Biffi (Congregacion De Harmanan Franciscanas Misioneras De Maria Auxiliadora)
• Colegio Eucaristico de Teresa (Hermanas Mercedarias del Sanrisimo Sacramento del Altar)
• Corporacion Colegio Latino americano
• Gimnasio Cartagena de Indias (Miembro ASPAEN)
• Colegio Montessori de Cartagena
• Colegio Jorge Washington (Miembro de la SACS)
• Colegio Britanico de Cartagena (Miembro IB)
• Gimnasio Cartagena (Mienbro ASPAEN)
• Gimnasio Altair de Cartagena
• Cartagena International School
• Centro de Ensenanza Precoz Nuevo MUndo
• Ciudad Escolar Comfenalco (Caja de Compensacion Familiar de Fenalco)
• Colegio Seminario de Cartagena (Eudistas)
• Colegio La Nueva Esperanza
• Colegio de La Esperanza
• INEM Jose Manuel Rodriguez Torices
• Colegio EI Carmelo de Cartagena
• Colegio La Presentacion (Hermanas dominicas de la presentacion)
• Colegio Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria (Hermanas Franciscanas)
• Institucion educativa Nuestra Senora del Carmen (Inenscar)
• Colegio La anunciacion
• Institucion Educativa Juan Jose Nieto
• Institucion Educativa Soledad Acosta de Samper (IESAS)
• Institucion Educativa San Franciso de Asis (IESFA)
• Colegio Militar EL Pinar de Canada
• Colegio Militar Fernandez Bustamantes (COLMIFEBU)
• Colegio Militar Almirante Colon (COMIALCO)
• Colegio Mixto  La Popa
• Colegio Naval Militar Abolsure  (Cooabolsure)
• Institucion Educativa de Promocion Social de Cartagena

BOVACA

Tunja

• Colegio de Boyaca

Puerto Boyaca

Colegio Departamental

• Colegio Santa Teresita

Duitama

• Colegio Seminario Diocesano

Caldas

Manizales

• Colegio Franciscano Agustín Gemelli
• Colegio Granadino
• Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora
• Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Rosario

Caquetá

Florencia

• Colegio Juan Bautista Migani

Casanare

Yopal

• Collegio Gimnasio de los Llanos
• Institución Educativa Centro Social La Presentación

Cauca

Popayán

• Colegio Gimnasio Calibio
• Colegio San José de Tarbes

Cesár

Valledupar

• CASD Simón Bolívar
• Colegio Gimnasio del Norte
• Colegio Hispanoamericano
• Colegio María Montessori
• Colegio Nacional Loperena
• Colegio Parroquial El Carmelo
• Colegio Sagrada Familia
• Colegio Santafé
• Fundación Colegio Bilingüe de Valledupar

Chocó

Quibdó

• Instituto Femenino de Enseñanza Media y Profesional

Córdoba

Montería

• Colegio Británico de Montería
• Colegio La Salle

Cundinamarca

• Normal Departamental Mixta de Pasca

Guainía

Inírida

• Colegio Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento
• Instituto de Bachillerato Agropecuario Custodio García Rovira

Guaviare

San José del Guaviare

• Colegio Departamental de Bachillerato Santander

Huila

Neiva

• Colegio la Presentación de Neiva
• Colegio Cooperativo Salesiano San Medardo
• ASPAEN Gimnasio Yumaná
• ASPAEN Gimnasio La Fragua

La Guajira

• Colegio Albania

Magdalena

Santa Marta

• Colegio Bilingue de Santa Marta

Meta

Villavicencio

• Colegio Espíritu Santo

Nariño

Pasto

• Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
• Colegio de San Francisco Javier
• Instituto Champagnat

Norte de Santander

Cúcuta

• Colegio Calasanz
• Colegio Gimnasio Los Almendros
• Colegio El Carmen Teresiano
• Colegio Santa Teresa
• Colegio Santo Angel de la Guarda

Putumayo

Mocoa

• Institución Educativa Santa María

Quindío

Armenia

• Colegio Americano De Armenia
• Colegio Franciscano San Luis Rey
• Colegio Inem Jose Celestino Mutis
• Colegio Instituto Tecnico Industrial

Risaralda

Pereira

• Colegio Americano
• Colegio Calasanz
• Colegio Cristo Rey
• Colegio De la Salle Pereira
• Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesus: Bethlemitas
• Colegio Salesiano San Juan Bosco
• Fundación Liceo Inglés
• Liceo Francés de Pereira

San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina

San Andrés

• Colegio Luis Amigo

Providencia

• Institución Educativa Colegio Nacionalizado Mixto de Providencia
• Institución Educativa Junín

Santander

Barrancabermeja

• Colegio el Rosario
• Colegio Luis Lopez de Meza

Bucaramanga

• Colegio Adventista Libertad
• Colegio Agustiniano
• Colegio Alfred Nobel
• Colegio Bilingüe Divino Niño
• Colegio Caldas
• Colegio Colombianitos Del Mañana
• Colegio Comfenalco
• Colegio El Inem
• Colegio El Pilar
• Colegio El Saleciano
• Colegio Glenn Domann
• Colegio Harvard
• Colegio La Merced
• Colegio La Nacional De Comercio
• Colegio La Normal
• Colegio La Presentación
• Colegio La Quinta Del Puente
• Colegio La Salle
• Colegio Lisceo Patria
• Colegio Maria Goretiu
• Colegio Nuestra Señora de Fatima (de la policia)
• Colegio Nuevo Cambridge
• Colegio Panamericano
• Colegio Principe De Asturias
• Colegio Principe San Carlos
• Colegio San Luis Beltran Del Lago
• Colegio San Patricio
• Colegio San Pedro Claver
• Colegio San Sebastian
• Colegio Santa Ana
• Colegio Santa Teresita
• Colegio Santander
• Fundación Colegio UIS
• Gimnasio Aspaen Cantillana
• Gimnasio Aspaen Saucara
• Gimnasio Jaibana
• Gimnasio Piedemonte
• Gimnsaio San Diego

Sucre

Sincelejo

• Liceo Panamericano

Tolima

Ibagué

• Colegio Champagnat
• Corporación Colegio San Bonifacio de las Lanzas
• Colegio Franciscano Jimenez De Cisneros

Valle del Cauca

Cali

• Colegio Instituto Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Insa)
• Colegio Bilingüe Montessori
• Centro Educativo Etievan Colegio Encuentros
• Colegio Alemán
• Colegio Bennet
• Colegio Berchmans
• Colegio Bilingue Dyana Oese
• Colegio Bolivar
• Colegio Colombo Britanico
• Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesus: Bethlemitas
• Colegio Franciscano de Pío XII
• Colegio Freinet
• Colegio Inglés de Los Andes
• Colegio La Coradire
• Colegio León de Greiff
• Colegio Manchester st Michael
• Colegio San Luis Gonzaga de Cali
• Colegio Santa Maria Stella Maris
• Liceo Benalcazar
• Liceo de Los Andes
• Liceo Frances Paul Valery
• Liceo Montessori

Yumbo

• Liceo Comercial de Yumbo or also known as Institucion Educativa Alberto Mendoza Mayor

Vaupés

Mitú

• Colegio Departamental Inaya
• Escuela Normal Superior Indígena María Reina

Vichada

Puerto Carreño

• Colelegio Antonia Santos de Cazuarito
• Colegio Comercial José Eustasio Rivera
• Escuela Normal Federico Lleras Acosta

Secondary education is divided in basic secondary (grades 6th to 9th) and mid secondary (grades 10th and 11th). Net secondary enrollment in 2001 was 53.5 percent. School life expectancy in 2001 was 11.1 years. Mid secondary school is usually refereed as Vocational school, as there is a selection of technical, arts, and academic schools to choose from. Technical schools offered specialized training in industrial subjects (mechanics, industrial chemistry, welding, farming) and commercial topics (accounting, office clerk). Other schools specialize in religious studiesl (Seminar schools for future Catholic priests), and teaching for pre-school and elementary teaching. Traditional academic school, however, represents most of the offer in urban areas.
In order to access college or technical education, highschool students must write the State Test "pruebas de estado" provided by Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior - ICFES.

University education

This is a list of universities in Colombia. The Colombian higher education system is composed by Technical Institutes focused in vocational education, University Institutions focused in technological education, and Universities focused in undergraduate and postgraduate education. The country counts with public and private universities. Most of the Public universities conform the State University System (Spanish: Sistema Universitario Estatal, SUE), and most of the departments have at least one public university. Several private universities are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church or are Nonsectarian.

Public

National

National University of Colombia Military University Nueva Granada National Open and Distance University National Pedagogic University National Pedagogic and Technological University of Colombia Superior School of Public Administration University of the Amazon University of the Llanos University of the Pacific

Military University Nueva Granada Campus Name Established Location Reference National University of Colombia 1867 Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales, Palmira, Arauca, Leticia, and San Andrés Military University Nueva Granada 1982 Bogotá National Open and Distance University 1981 National Pedagogic University 1955 Bogotá National Pedagogic and Technological University of Colombia Tunja, Chiquinquirá, Duitama, and Sogamoso Superior School of Public Administration 1958 Bogotá, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Fusagasugá, Ibagué, Manizales, Medellin, Neiva, Pasto, Pereira, Popayán, Tunja, and Villavicencio University of the Amazon 1971 Florencia University of the Llanos 1974 Villavicencio University of the Pacific 1988 Buenaventura, Guapi, and Tumaco

Departmental

Central University of Valle del Cauca Francisco José de Caldas District University Francisco de Paula Santander University Industrial University of Santander Popular University of Cesar South Colombian University Technological University of Choco Technological University of Pereira University of Antioquia University of Atlantico University of Caldas University of Cartagena University of Cauca University of Cordoba University of Cordoba University of Cundinamarca University of La Guajira University of Magdalena University of Nariño University of Pamplona University of Quindio University of Sucre University of Tolima University of Valle

Private

Catholic

university of colombia

 

 

Nonsectarian

Established Name Location Reference 1982 University of Ibague Ibague Antonio Nariño University Autonomous University of Bucaramanga Autonomous University of the Caribean Autonomous University of Colombia Autonomous University of Manizales Manizales 1970 Universidad Autónoma de Occidente Cali Central University Externado University of Colombia Cooperative University of Colombia Cooperative University of San Gil Free University of Risaralda Jorge Tadeo Lozano University Bogotá, Cartagena La Gran Colombia University Pilot University of Colombia Santiago de Cali University Cali University of America University of the Andes University of Boyaca University EAFIT University of the Forest University ICESI Cali University of Manizales Manizales University of Medellín Medellín University of the North Barranquilla

Superior education is divided into under-graduate degrees and post-graduate degrees and is regulated by the 30th law of 1992. Most of the university degrees are 5 years long. Technical formation usually lasts 3 years. Post-graduate education includes specializations, masters and PhD programs.

Education for Employment and Human Development

Education for Employment and Human Development is regulated by law 1064 of 2006 and the 2888 decrete of 2007. This kind of Education provide a degree of Technical Education, provides skills and talents to improve the level of subsistence. Education for employment involves technical skills necessary to the performance of work through the formation of "labor competences", which is a Colombian strategy to standardize and certify human resource, expanding and diversifying the formation and training of human resources. It includes the education provided by the enterprises to their employees. The Colombian government promotes this kind of education as an alternative for the university education, which is not accessible for the majority. Some institutions that provide this services are : SENA (national service of learning); CESDE; ANDAP; INCAP among others.

Non profit organizations working to fill the education gap in Colombia

There are hundreds of well-run non profits in Colombia that are helping to close the education gap. To support their efforts, the Colombian diaspora has begun to organize and channel resources to them from the United States. One of the largest examples is the Genesis Foundation. Other organizations like Colombia Progresa raise scholarships in the US to support the education of kids in Colombia.