Education in Cartagena, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 199,072 children aged 5 to 16 in Cartagena in 2024, of whom 109.0% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 3rd highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 107.5% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Cartagena are in school?
Net enrolment in Cartagena in 2024 was 71.6% at pre-school transition level, 105.8% in primary, 96.8% in lower secondary and 63.3% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Cartagena?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Cartagena was 117.9% in 2024, 123.2% in primary and 100.6% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Cartagena?
3.33% of students enrolled in Cartagena left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 27th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 3.09% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Cartagena?
In 2024 89.5% of students in Cartagena passed their school year, 7.1% failed and 7.6% were repeating a grade, 15th 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 Cartagena?
Students at schools in Cartagena averaged 239 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (27,982 test takers), 14th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 236.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Cartagena do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Cartagena averaged 48 in mathematics, 51 in critical reading and 48 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 20th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Cartagena score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Cartagena averaged 226 on the Saber 11 exam (19,704 test takers) and students at private schools 271 (8,278), a gap of 45 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Cartagena improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Cartagena changed by +3 points between 2019 and 2022, 17th largest fall of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Cartagena cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 33.5% of households in Cartagena were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), 13th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 6.5% had a member who could not read or write and 13.4% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Cartagena compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cartagena ranks 3 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uribia | 125.1% |
| 2 | Barrancabermeja | 113.4% |
| 3 | Cartagena | 109.0% |
| 4 | Sogamoso | 108.9% |
| 5 | Ibagué | 108.7% |
| 6 | Riohacha | 108.5% |
| 7 | Chía | 107.0% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cartagena ranks 48 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Santander de Quilichao | 3.48% |
| 46 | Popayán | 3.38% |
| 47 | Chía | 3.36% |
| 48 | Cartagena | 3.33% |
| 49 | Buenaventura | 3.31% |
| 50 | Cajicá | 3.29% |
| 51 | Yopal | 3.28% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cartagena ranks 60 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | Cajicá | 7.7% |
| 58 | Lorica | 7.6% |
| 59 | Armenia | 7.6% |
| 60 | Cartagena | 7.6% |
| 61 | Itagüí | 7.6% |
| 62 | Duitama | 7.2% |
| 63 | Funza | 7.2% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Cartagena ranks 61 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | Santander de Quilichao | 241 |
| 59 | Arauca | 241 |
| 60 | Aguachica | 239 |
| 61 | Cartagena | 239 |
| 62 | Apartadó | 237 |
| 63 | Malambo | 234 |
| 64 | Lorica | 234 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Cartagena ranks 58 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | Riohacha | +4 |
| 56 | Soledad | +3 |
| 57 | Aguachica | +3 |
| 58 | Cartagena | +3 |
| 59 | Tuluá | +3 |
| 60 | Bucaramanga | +3 |
| 61 | Ipiales | +3 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Cartagena ranks 62 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 59 | Zipaquirá | 34.0% |
| 60 | Itagüí | 33.8% |
| 61 | Madrid | 33.6% |
| 62 | Cartagena | 33.5% |
| 63 | Cali | 33.0% |
| 64 | Bucaramanga | 32.7% |
| 65 | Soledad | 31.4% |
More on Cartagena: 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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