Education in Cartago, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 24,386 children aged 5 to 16 in Cartago in 2024, of whom 69.6% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 4th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 78.4% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Cartago are in school?
Net enrolment in Cartago in 2024 was 52.8% at pre-school transition level, 67.2% in primary, 62.4% in lower secondary and 42.8% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Cartago?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Cartago was 77.4% in 2024, 77.3% in primary and 71.7% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Cartago?
5.18% of students enrolled in Cartago left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 13th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 2.37% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Cartago?
In 2024 86.7% of students in Cartago passed their school year, 8.1% failed and 8.1% were repeating a grade, 25th 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 Cartago?
Students at schools in Cartago averaged 253 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (2,822 test takers), 27th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 243.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Cartago do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Cartago averaged 51 in mathematics, 54 in critical reading and 51 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 28th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Cartago score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Cartago averaged 252 on the Saber 11 exam (2,514 test takers) and students at private schools 256 (308), a gap of 4 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Cartago improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Cartago changed by +10 points between 2019 and 2022, 14th largest rise of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Cartago cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 48.2% of households in Cartago were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), 17th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 8.4% had a member who could not read or write and 11.9% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Cartago compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cartago ranks 71 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 68 | Los Patios | 76.5% |
| 69 | Gudalajara de Buga | 74.1% |
| 70 | Manizales | 73.3% |
| 71 | Cartago | 69.6% |
| 72 | San Andrés de Tumaco | 66.1% |
| 73 | Tuluá | 65.4% |
| 74 | Buenaventura | 62.9% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cartago ranks 13 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Yumbo | 5.49% |
| 11 | Madrid | 5.40% |
| 12 | Ciénaga | 5.29% |
| 13 | Cartago | 5.18% |
| 14 | Palmira | 5.14% |
| 15 | Armenia | 5.02% |
| 16 | Gudalajara de Buga | 4.91% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Cartago ranks 50 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Bogotá, D.C. | 8.2% |
| 48 | Cali | 8.1% |
| 49 | Chía | 8.1% |
| 50 | Cartago | 8.1% |
| 51 | Floridablanca | 8.1% |
| 52 | Villa del Rosario | 8.0% |
| 53 | Santander de Quilichao | 8.0% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Cartago ranks 48 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Sincelejo | 254 |
| 46 | Florencia | 253 |
| 47 | Turbaco | 253 |
| 48 | Cartago | 253 |
| 49 | Bello | 252 |
| 50 | Medellín | 251 |
| 51 | Sahagún | 250 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Cartago ranks 14 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Santander de Quilichao | +10 |
| 12 | Facatativá | +10 |
| 13 | Maicao | +10 |
| 14 | Cartago | +10 |
| 15 | Madrid | +10 |
| 16 | Rionegro | +10 |
| 17 | Bello | +9 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Cartago ranks 17 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Cereté | 48.7% |
| 15 | Buenaventura | 48.3% |
| 16 | Riohacha | 48.3% |
| 17 | Cartago | 48.2% |
| 18 | Florencia | 47.8% |
| 19 | Apartadó | 47.1% |
| 20 | Arauca | 47.1% |
More on Cartago: 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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