Education in Popayán, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 50,744 children aged 5 to 16 in Popayán in 2024, of whom 106.7% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 8th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 102.5% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Popayán are in school?
Net enrolment in Popayán in 2024 was 71.3% at pre-school transition level, 106.0% in primary, 94.3% in lower secondary and 67.3% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Popayán?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Popayán was 119.2% in 2024, 119.3% in primary and 122.7% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Popayán?
3.38% of students enrolled in Popayán left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 29th lowest 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 Popayán?
In 2024 92.0% of students in Popayán passed their school year, 4.6% failed and 7.1% were repeating a grade, 10th 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 Popayán?
Students at schools in Popayán averaged 260 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (6,464 test takers), 34th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 251.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Popayán do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Popayán averaged 53 in mathematics, 55 in critical reading and 51 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 30th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Popayán score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Popayán averaged 263 on the Saber 11 exam (5,084 test takers) and students at private schools 250 (1,380), a gap of 14 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Popayán improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Popayán changed by +9 points between 2019 and 2022, 18th largest rise of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Popayán cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 37.8% of households in Popayán were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), joint 28th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 5.9% had a member who could not read or write and 11.8% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Popayán compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Popayán ranks 8 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ibagué | 108.7% |
| 6 | Riohacha | 108.5% |
| 7 | Chía | 107.0% |
| 8 | Popayán | 106.7% |
| 9 | Rionegro | 106.4% |
| 10 | Yumbo | 103.2% |
| 11 | Santa Marta | 102.7% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Popayán ranks 46 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 43 | Los Patios | 3.63% |
| 44 | Barrancabermeja | 3.48% |
| 45 | Santander de Quilichao | 3.48% |
| 46 | Popayán | 3.38% |
| 47 | Chía | 3.36% |
| 48 | Cartagena | 3.33% |
| 49 | Buenaventura | 3.31% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Popayán ranks 65 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Duitama | 7.2% |
| 63 | Funza | 7.2% |
| 64 | Sogamoso | 7.1% |
| 65 | Popayán | 7.1% |
| 66 | Bucaramanga | 7.0% |
| 67 | Soacha | 6.7% |
| 68 | Piedecuesta | 6.7% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Popayán ranks 34 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Itagüí | 262 |
| 32 | Ibagué | 261 |
| 33 | Fusagasugá | 260 |
| 34 | Popayán | 260 |
| 35 | Villavicencio | 260 |
| 36 | Tuluá | 260 |
| 37 | Pereira | 260 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Popayán ranks 18 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Madrid | +10 |
| 16 | Rionegro | +10 |
| 17 | Bello | +9 |
| 18 | Popayán | +9 |
| 19 | Santa Marta | +9 |
| 20 | Itagüí | +9 |
| 21 | Apartadó | +8 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Popayán ranks 47 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | Armenia | 38.0% |
| 45 | Valledupar | 37.8% |
| 46 | Neiva | 37.8% |
| 47 | Popayán | 37.8% |
| 48 | Ibagué | 37.3% |
| 49 | Sogamoso | 36.7% |
| 50 | Bello | 36.5% |
More on Popayán: 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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