Education in Valledupar, Colombia: official figures
The Ministry of Education counted 120,301 children aged 5 to 16 in Valledupar in 2024, of whom 85.0% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 20th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 90.5% in 2019.
How many teenagers in Valledupar are in school?
Net enrolment in Valledupar in 2024 was 60.3% at pre-school transition level, 82.2% in primary, 72.4% in lower secondary and 44.5% in upper secondary (media).
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school enrolment rate in Valledupar?
Gross enrolment (all students at a level, whatever their age, as a share of the school-age population) in Valledupar was 92.4% in 2024, 98.1% in primary and 77.7% in upper secondary.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Valledupar?
4.03% of students enrolled in Valledupar left school during 2024 (dropout rate), joint 35th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 3.09% in 2019.
Source: Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación) · saved copyHow many students repeat a year in Valledupar?
In 2024 88.7% of students in Valledupar passed their school year, 7.3% failed and 8.6% were repeating a grade, 37th 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 Valledupar?
Students at schools in Valledupar averaged 256 points out of 500 in the 2022 Saber 11 school-leaving exam (11,852 test takers), 33rd lowest 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 Valledupar do in maths and English?
In the 2022 Saber 11 exam, students in Valledupar averaged 52 in mathematics, 54 in critical reading and 51 in English (each out of 100); the English average was 33rd lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyDo private schools in Valledupar score higher?
In 2022, students at public schools in Valledupar averaged 251 on the Saber 11 exam (8,068 test takers) and students at private schools 266 (3,784), a gap of 15 points.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyAre school exam results in Valledupar improving?
The average Saber 11 score of Valledupar changed by +5 points between 2019 and 2022, 27th largest fall of 74 Colombian cities on this site.
Source: Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES) · saved copyHow many adults in Valledupar cannot read?
In the 2018 census, 37.8% of households in Valledupar 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 10.8% had a member who could not read or write and 20.5% a child with school lag (national: 46.1%, 10.5% and 16.0%).
Source: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) · saved copyHow Valledupar compares with other cities in Colombia
Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Valledupar ranks 55 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Net enrolment rate, ages 5-16, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Villavicencio | 87.6% |
| 53 | Malambo | 87.3% |
| 54 | Sahagún | 85.1% |
| 55 | Valledupar | 85.0% |
| 56 | Cajicá | 84.8% |
| 57 | Dosquebradas | 84.5% |
| 58 | Ocaña | 84.1% |
School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Valledupar ranks 35 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | School dropout rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Aguachica | 4.08% |
| 33 | Girardot | 4.05% |
| 34 | Soacha | 4.04% |
| 35 | Valledupar | 4.03% |
| 36 | Lorica | 4.03% |
| 37 | Magangué | 3.94% |
| 38 | Envigado | 3.93% |
Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) (2024)
Valledupar ranks 37 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Grade repetition rate, 2024 (MEN) |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 40 | Pereira | 8.4% |
Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) (2022)
Valledupar ranks 42 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Saber 11 average global score, 2022 (out of 500) |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Villa del Rosario | 259 |
| 40 | Yopal | 259 |
| 41 | Montería | 257 |
| 42 | Valledupar | 256 |
| 43 | Jamundí | 254 |
| 44 | Barranquilla | 254 |
| 45 | Sincelejo | 254 |
Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 (2019-2022)
Valledupar ranks 48 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Change in Saber 11 average global score, 2019 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Zipaquirá | +5 |
| 46 | Envigado | +5 |
| 47 | Jamundí | +5 |
| 48 | Valledupar | +5 |
| 49 | Bogotá, D.C. | +4 |
| 50 | Cali | +4 |
| 51 | Villavicencio | +4 |
Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census (2018)
Valledupar ranks 45 of 74, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with low educational achievement, 2018 census |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Villavicencio | 38.8% |
| 43 | Jamundí | 38.6% |
| 44 | Armenia | 38.0% |
| 45 | Valledupar | 37.8% |
| 46 | Neiva | 37.8% |
| 47 | Popayán | 37.8% |
| 48 | Ibagué | 37.3% |
More on Valledupar: 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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