Education in Palmira, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 61,232 children aged 5 to 16 in Palmira in 2024, of whom 79.0% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 11th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 80.8% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Palmira are in school?
Net enrolment in Palmira in 2024 was 51.7% at pre-school transition level, 75.9% in primary, 69.7% in lower secondary and 46.5% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Palmira?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Palmira was 88.6% in 2024, 89.0% in primary and 81.6% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Palmira?
5.14% of students enrolled in Palmira left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 14th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 3.19% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Palmira?
In 2024 84.3% of students in Palmira passed their school year, 10.6% failed and 8.9% were repeating a grade, 31st highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site on repetition.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the average Saber 11 score in Palmira?
Students at schools in Palmira averaged 263 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (6,166 test takers), 30th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 258.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Palmira do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Palmira averaged 53 in mathematics, 55 in critical reading and 52 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 31st highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Palmira score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Palmira averaged 263 on the Saber 11 exam (5,682 test takers) and students at private schools 266 (484), a gap of 4 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Palmira improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Palmira changed by +5 points between 2019 and 2022, 37th largest fall of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Palmira cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 40.3% of households in Palmira were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), joint 36th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 5.3% had a member who could not read or write and 12.4% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Palmira compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Palmira ranks 64 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Magangué | 82.7% |
| 62 | Floridablanca | 81.7% |
| 63 | Aguachica | 80.2% |
| 64 | Palmira | 79.0% |
| 65 | Cali | 78.8% |
| 66 | Jamundí | 78.3% |
| 67 | Facatativá | 77.7% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Palmira ranks 14 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 17 | Floridablanca | 4.82% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Palmira ranks 31 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Ocaña | 9.0% |
| 29 | Magangué | 8.9% |
| 30 | Facatativá | 8.9% |
| 31 | Palmira | 8.9% |
| 32 | Sahagún | 8.8% |
| 33 | Envigado | 8.8% |
| 34 | Arauca | 8.8% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Palmira ranks 30 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Rionegro | 264 |
| 28 | Los Patios | 264 |
| 29 | Barrancabermeja | 263 |
| 30 | Palmira | 263 |
| 31 | Itagüí | 262 |
| 32 | Ibagué | 261 |
| 33 | Fusagasugá | 260 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Palmira ranks 38 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Pasto | +6 |
| 36 | Villa del Rosario | +6 |
| 37 | Barrancabermeja | +6 |
| 38 | Palmira | +5 |
| 39 | Dosquebradas | +5 |
| 40 | Ocaña | +5 |
| 41 | Cúcuta | +5 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Palmira ranks 36 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Montería | 41.2% |
| 34 | Pasto | 41.0% |
| 35 | Gudalajara de Buga | 40.9% |
| 36 | Palmira | 40.3% |
| 37 | Piedecuesta | 40.3% |
| 38 | Girardot | 40.1% |
| 39 | Yopal | 39.9% |
More on Palmira: 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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