Education in Cali, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 379,094 children aged 5 to 16 in Cali in 2024, of whom 78.8% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 10th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 83.5% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Cali are in school?
Net enrolment in Cali in 2024 was 58.0% at pre-school transition level, 76.9% in primary, 68.2% in lower secondary and 48.8% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Cali?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Cali was 87.4% in 2024, 88.0% in primary and 90.1% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Cali?
4.41% of students enrolled in Cali left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 26th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 3.73% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Cali?
In 2024 88.5% of students in Cali passed their school year, 7.1% failed and 8.1% were repeating a grade, 27th 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 Cali?
Students at schools in Cali averaged 250 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (33,708 test takers), 22nd lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 246.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Cali do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Cali averaged 50 in mathematics, 53 in critical reading and 50 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 24th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Cali score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Cali averaged 249 on the Saber 11 exam (22,882 test takers) and students at private schools 253 (10,826), a gap of 4 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Cali improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Cali changed by +4 points between 2019 and 2022, 25th largest fall of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Cali cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 33.0% of households in Cali were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), 12th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 4.4% had a member who could not read or write and 11.3% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Cali compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cali ranks 65 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Floridablanca | 81.7% |
| 63 | Aguachica | 80.2% |
| 64 | Palmira | 79.0% |
| 65 | Cali | 78.8% |
| 66 | Jamundí | 78.3% |
| 67 | Facatativá | 77.7% |
| 68 | Los Patios | 76.5% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cali ranks 26 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Bucaramanga | 4.48% |
| 24 | Turbo | 4.47% |
| 25 | Girón | 4.43% |
| 26 | Cali | 4.41% |
| 27 | Cúcuta | 4.28% |
| 28 | Ocaña | 4.22% |
| 29 | Ibagué | 4.18% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cali ranks 48 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Girón | 8.3% |
| 46 | Tuluá | 8.2% |
| 47 | Bogotá, D.C. | 8.2% |
| 48 | Cali | 8.1% |
| 49 | Chía | 8.1% |
| 50 | Cartago | 8.1% |
| 51 | Floridablanca | 8.1% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Cali ranks 53 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Medellín | 251 |
| 51 | Sahagún | 250 |
| 52 | Girardot | 250 |
| 53 | Cali | 250 |
| 54 | Yumbo | 247 |
| 55 | Cereté | 245 |
| 56 | Santa Marta | 244 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Cali ranks 50 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Jamundí | +5 |
| 48 | Valledupar | +5 |
| 49 | Bogotá, D.C. | +4 |
| 50 | Cali | +4 |
| 51 | Villavicencio | +4 |
| 52 | Ciénaga | +4 |
| 53 | Ibagué | +4 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Cali ranks 63 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | Itagüí | 33.8% |
| 61 | Madrid | 33.6% |
| 62 | Cartagena | 33.5% |
| 63 | Cali | 33.0% |
| 64 | Bucaramanga | 32.7% |
| 65 | Soledad | 31.4% |
| 66 | Floridablanca | 30.7% |
More on Cali: 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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