Education in Bucaramanga, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 93,195 children aged 5 to 16 in Bucaramanga in 2024, of whom 98.5% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 20th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 101.5% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Bucaramanga are in school?
Net enrolment in Bucaramanga in 2024 was 72.8% at pre-school transition level, 98.7% in primary, 87.2% in lower secondary and 60.7% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Bucaramanga?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Bucaramanga was 107.3% in 2024, 110.9% in primary and 103.1% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Bucaramanga?
4.48% of students enrolled in Bucaramanga left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 23rd highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 3.35% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Bucaramanga?
In 2024 88.3% of students in Bucaramanga passed their school year, 7.2% failed and 7.0% were repeating a grade, 9th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site on repetition.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the average Saber 11 score in Bucaramanga?
Students at schools in Bucaramanga averaged 281 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (12,848 test takers), 5th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 278.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Bucaramanga do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Bucaramanga averaged 57 in mathematics, 59 in critical reading and 57 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 6th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Bucaramanga score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Bucaramanga averaged 272 on the Saber 11 exam (9,040 test takers) and students at private schools 301 (3,808), a gap of 29 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Bucaramanga improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Bucaramanga changed by +3 points between 2019 and 2022, 15th largest fall of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Bucaramanga cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 32.7% of households in Bucaramanga were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), 11th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 4.8% had a member who could not read or write and 10.8% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Bucaramanga compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Bucaramanga ranks 20 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Turbo | 99.3% |
| 18 | Quibdo | 99.0% |
| 19 | Tunja | 98.9% |
| 20 | Bucaramanga | 98.5% |
| 21 | Mosquera | 98.5% |
| 22 | Envigado | 98.5% |
| 23 | Pitalito | 98.2% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Bucaramanga ranks 23 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Pitalito | 4.64% |
| 21 | Itagüí | 4.58% |
| 22 | Zipaquirá | 4.51% |
| 23 | Bucaramanga | 4.48% |
| 24 | Turbo | 4.47% |
| 25 | Girón | 4.43% |
| 26 | Cali | 4.41% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Bucaramanga ranks 66 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Funza | 7.2% |
| 64 | Sogamoso | 7.1% |
| 65 | Popayán | 7.1% |
| 66 | Bucaramanga | 7.0% |
| 67 | Soacha | 6.7% |
| 68 | Piedecuesta | 6.7% |
| 69 | Barranquilla | 6.7% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Bucaramanga ranks 5 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Envigado | 283 |
| 3 | Duitama | 282 |
| 4 | Floridablanca | 282 |
| 5 | Bucaramanga | 281 |
| 6 | Sogamoso | 280 |
| 7 | Mosquera | 279 |
| 8 | Chía | 277 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Bucaramanga ranks 60 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | Aguachica | +3 |
| 58 | Cartagena | +3 |
| 59 | Tuluá | +3 |
| 60 | Bucaramanga | +3 |
| 61 | Ipiales | +3 |
| 62 | Quibdo | +2 |
| 63 | Chía | +2 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Bucaramanga ranks 64 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Madrid | 33.6% |
| 62 | Cartagena | 33.5% |
| 63 | Cali | 33.0% |
| 64 | Bucaramanga | 32.7% |
| 65 | Soledad | 31.4% |
| 66 | Floridablanca | 30.7% |
| 67 | Barranquilla | 29.0% |
More on Bucaramanga: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · all cities in Colombia
Sources
- Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE): Medida de pobreza multidimensional municipal de fuente censal 2018: municipal incidence (urban and rural) and household deprivations by indicator, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a3ac3a60498a…)
- Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación): MEN estadísticas en educación en preescolar, básica y media por municipio, 2011-2024: net and gross coverage, dropout, approval, failure and repetition rates (datos.gov.co API response for the 74 municipalities; query saved as men-municipal-2011-2024.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8de3c5ca5744…)
- Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES): Resultados únicos Saber 11: average scores by municipality of the school and school type, 2019-4 and 2022-4 sittings (datos.gov.co aggregate query; saved as saber11.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6b32c41e9323…)
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