Education in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic: official figures
The Ministry of Education lists 441 schools in Puerto Plata for 2023-24 with 80,363 students enrolled, 3.1% of the 2,617,801 nationwide.
How many students are enrolled in school in Puerto Plata?
That is 238 enrolled students for every 1,000 residents counted in the 2022 census (national: 243); ranking 14th lowest of 32 provinces. Enrolment includes adult education and is by school location.
Source: Ministerio de Educación (MINERD) · saved copyHow many students go to private schools in Puerto Plata?
17.4% of students in Puerto Plata attended private schools in 2023-24 (national: 22.4%); ranking 11th highest of 32 provinces for private share. The rest were in public or semi-official schools.
Source: Ministerio de Educación (MINERD) · saved copyHow big are schools in Puerto Plata?
The average school in Puerto Plata had 182 students in 2023-24 (national: 247); ranking 14th smallest of 32 provinces for average school size. There are 13.0 schools per 10,000 residents (national: 9.9), ranking 14th highest of 32 provinces.
Source: Ministerio de Educación (MINERD) · saved copyHow many secondary schools are there in Puerto Plata?
150 of the 441 schools in Puerto Plata (34%) teach at secondary level, against 33% nationally; ranking 12th highest of 32 provinces for that share.
Source: Ministerio de Educación (MINERD) · saved copyWhat is the literacy rate in Puerto Plata?
87.1% of the 102,914 household heads in SIUBEN's social registry in Puerto Plata could read and write in July-September 2026 (registered households overall: 86.7%); ranking 9th highest of 32 provinces. 13,236 could not.
Source: Sistema Único de Beneficiarios (SIUBEN) · saved copyIs literacy improving in Puerto Plata?
In January-March 2018 the registry showed 88.0% of household heads in Puerto Plata able to read and write, so the share has fallen 0.8 points (registered households overall: 87.5% then, 86.7% now). SIUBEN covers households registered for social programmes, not every household.
Source: Sistema Único de Beneficiarios (SIUBEN) · saved copyHow Puerto Plata compares with other provinces
Students enrolled per 1,000 residents (2023-24)
Puerto Plata ranks 19 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Students enrolled per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Dajabon | 242 |
| 17 | Peravia | 240 |
| 18 | El Seibo | 240 |
| 19 | Puerto Plata | 238 |
| 20 | Sanchez Ramirez | 230 |
| 21 | Monsenor Nouel | 229 |
| 22 | Distrito Nacional | 223 |
Share of students in private schools (2023-24)
Puerto Plata ranks 11 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of students in private schools |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Duarte | 18.8% |
| 9 | Monsenor Nouel | 18.6% |
| 10 | Peravia | 17.6% |
| 11 | Puerto Plata | 17.4% |
| 12 | La Vega | 14.9% |
| 13 | Espaillat | 13.0% |
| 14 | San Jose de Ocoa | 12.3% |
Household heads who can read and write (SIUBEN registry) (July-September 2026)
Puerto Plata ranks 9 of 32, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Household heads who can read and write (SIUBEN registry) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Monsenor Nouel | 88.5% |
| 7 | Santiago | 88.5% |
| 8 | San Cristobal | 88.1% |
| 9 | Puerto Plata | 87.1% |
| 10 | Hermanas Mirabal | 86.9% |
| 11 | Espaillat | 86.8% |
| 12 | Samana | 86.6% |
More on Puerto Plata: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · the Dominican Republic
Sources
- Ministerio de Educación (MINERD): Relación de Centros Educativos de República Dominicana, school year 2023-2024: schools, level, sector and enrolment, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 01c6494be07e…)
- Sistema Único de Beneficiarios (SIUBEN): Distribución de Jefes/as de Hogar según Condición de Alfabetismo, SIUBEN, 2018-2026 (by province, quarterly), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7541355137f8…)
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