Education in Sincelejo, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 60,154 children aged 5 to 16 in Sincelejo in 2024, of whom 96.7% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 27th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 102.5% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Sincelejo are in school?
Net enrolment in Sincelejo in 2024 was 72.4% at pre-school transition level, 94.5% in primary, 85.2% in lower secondary and 57.0% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Sincelejo?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Sincelejo was 107.2% in 2024, 108.2% in primary and 101.0% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Sincelejo?
3.02% of students enrolled in Sincelejo left school during 2024 (dropout rate), 20th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 2.64% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Sincelejo?
In 2024 89.2% of students in Sincelejo passed their school year, 7.8% failed and 8.7% were repeating a grade, 36th 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 Sincelejo?
Students at schools in Sincelejo averaged 254 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (7,716 test takers), 30th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; in 2019 the average was 253.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow do students in Sincelejo do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Sincelejo averaged 51 in mathematics, 53 in critical reading and 51 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 27th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Sincelejo score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Sincelejo averaged 246 on the Saber 11 exam (6,086 test takers) and students at private schools 283 (1,630), a gap of 38 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Sincelejo improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Sincelejo changed by +1 points between 2019 and 2022, 8th largest fall of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Sincelejo cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 41.6% of households in Sincelejo were deprived on educational achievement (members aged 15 and over averaged under nine years of schooling), 30th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, and 14.7% had a member who could not read or write and 15.9% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Sincelejo compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Sincelejo ranks 27 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Yopal | 97.8% |
| 25 | Arauca | 96.9% |
| 26 | Santander de Quilichao | 96.8% |
| 27 | Sincelejo | 96.7% |
| 28 | Piedecuesta | 96.6% |
| 29 | Barranquilla | 96.5% |
| 30 | Pasto | 96.4% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Sincelejo ranks 55 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Medellín | 3.18% |
| 53 | Cereté | 3.17% |
| 54 | Manizales | 3.06% |
| 55 | Sincelejo | 3.02% |
| 56 | Montería | 2.98% |
| 57 | Turbaco | 2.84% |
| 58 | Maicao | 2.83% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Sincelejo ranks 36 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Envigado | 8.8% |
| 34 | Arauca | 8.8% |
| 35 | Santa Marta | 8.7% |
| 36 | Sincelejo | 8.7% |
| 37 | Valledupar | 8.6% |
| 38 | Apartadó | 8.5% |
| 39 | Villavicencio | 8.4% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Sincelejo ranks 45 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Valledupar | 256 |
| 43 | Jamundí | 254 |
| 44 | Barranquilla | 254 |
| 45 | Sincelejo | 254 |
| 46 | Florencia | 253 |
| 47 | Turbaco | 253 |
| 48 | Cartago | 253 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Sincelejo ranks 67 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 64 | Sogamoso | +2 |
| 65 | Medellín | +2 |
| 66 | Uribia | +1 |
| 67 | Sincelejo | +1 |
| 68 | Duitama | +1 |
| 69 | Sahagún | +1 |
| 70 | Montería | +0 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Sincelejo ranks 30 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Fusagasugá | 43.3% |
| 28 | Girón | 41.9% |
| 29 | Barrancabermeja | 41.7% |
| 30 | Sincelejo | 41.6% |
| 31 | Pereira | 41.5% |
| 32 | Dosquebradas | 41.4% |
| 33 | Montería | 41.2% |
More on Sincelejo: 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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