Education in Riohacha, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 55,850 children aged 5 to 16 in Riohacha in 2024, of whom 108.5% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 6th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 109.7% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Riohacha are in school?
Net enrolment in Riohacha in 2024 was 97.5% at pre-school transition level, 107.3% in primary, 78.7% in lower secondary and 44.8% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Riohacha?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Riohacha was 119.2% in 2024, 136.6% in primary and 86.2% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Riohacha?
3.65% of students enrolled in Riohacha left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 33rd lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 2.99% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Riohacha?
In 2024 85.3% of students in Riohacha passed their school year, 11.0% failed and 10.6% were repeating a grade, 12th 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 Riohacha?
Students at schools in Riohacha averaged 234 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (5,430 test takers), 10th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 230.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Riohacha do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Riohacha averaged 47 in mathematics, 50 in critical reading and 45 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 9th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Riohacha score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Riohacha averaged 226 on the Saber 11 exam (4,706 test takers) and students at private schools 285 (724), a gap of 59 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Riohacha improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Riohacha changed by +4 points between 2019 and 2022, 20th largest fall of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Riohacha cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 48.3% of households in Riohacha were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), joint 15th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 18.7% had a member who could not read or write and 23.7% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Riohacha compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Riohacha ranks 6 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cartagena | 109.0% |
| 4 | Sogamoso | 108.9% |
| 5 | Ibagué | 108.7% |
| 6 | Riohacha | 108.5% |
| 7 | Chía | 107.0% |
| 8 | Popayán | 106.7% |
| 9 | Rionegro | 106.4% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Riohacha ranks 42 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Bello | 3.92% |
| 40 | San Andrés de Tumaco | 3.83% |
| 41 | Fusagasugá | 3.77% |
| 42 | Riohacha | 3.65% |
| 43 | Los Patios | 3.63% |
| 44 | Barrancabermeja | 3.48% |
| 45 | Santander de Quilichao | 3.48% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Riohacha ranks 12 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Cereté | 10.9% |
| 10 | Zipaquirá | 10.6% |
| 11 | Montería | 10.6% |
| 12 | Riohacha | 10.6% |
| 13 | Madrid | 10.5% |
| 14 | Ipiales | 10.4% |
| 15 | Quibdo | 10.3% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Riohacha ranks 65 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Apartadó | 237 |
| 63 | Malambo | 234 |
| 64 | Lorica | 234 |
| 65 | Riohacha | 234 |
| 66 | Magangué | 230 |
| 67 | Maicao | 227 |
| 68 | Sabanalarga | 226 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Riohacha ranks 55 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Ciénaga | +4 |
| 53 | Ibagué | +4 |
| 54 | Piedecuesta | +4 |
| 55 | Riohacha | +4 |
| 56 | Soledad | +3 |
| 57 | Aguachica | +3 |
| 58 | Cartagena | +3 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Riohacha ranks 16 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Santander de Quilichao | 49.6% |
| 14 | Cereté | 48.7% |
| 15 | Buenaventura | 48.3% |
| 16 | Riohacha | 48.3% |
| 17 | Cartago | 48.2% |
| 18 | Florencia | 47.8% |
| 19 | Apartadó | 47.1% |
More on Riohacha: 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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