Costa Rica
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Costa Rica
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Costa Rica, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 28.2% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 21.4% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 50.3% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 7.1% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 71.6% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • In 2023, Costa Rica allocated an average of 11.7% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 4.7% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 19872 equivalent USD for tertiary education in Costa Rica (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 7.8% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 8.2% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 19.9% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 12.8% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • In Costa Rica, annual typical teaching hours were 1234 hours in primary education (OECD average : 770 hours) and 1274 hours in lower secondary education (OECD average : 710 hours).
  • Women represent 94.1% of pre-primary teaching staff in Costa Rica (OECD average : 95.9%) and 57.8% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
  • In Costa Rica, there are 97.1% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | Ministerio de Educación Pública de la República de Costa Rica (Ministry of Public Education, in Spanish) |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35.3 %, rank 3/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.3 %, rank 2/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.4 %, rank 41/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.8 %, rank 33/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Costa Rica has one of the highest percentages of 25-64 year-old adults with less than primary education. (8.9 %, rank 1/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Costa Rica has one of the lowest percentages of 25-64 year-olds whose highest education level is a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree. (3.1 %, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0.1 %, rank 33/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.4 %, rank 41/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a vocational degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.6 %, rank 31/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (1.5 %, rank 36/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old women who have attained a vocational degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.8 %, rank 33/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36.9 %, rank 37/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Costa Rica has one of the smallest shares of 25-64 year-old men whose highest education level is a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree. (2.9 %, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Costa Rica has one of the smallest shares of 25-64 year-old women whose highest education level is a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree. (3.4 %, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old men who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (0.1 %, rank 33/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Costa Rica is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (39.4 %, rank 3/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Costa Rica is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (31 %, rank 3/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Costa Rica is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29.5 %, rank 40/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Costa Rica is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.9 %, rank 41/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Costa Rica is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.9 %, rank 40/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 55-64 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Costa Rica is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14.7 %, rank 41/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 55-64 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Costa Rica is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.1 %, rank 40/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (50.3 %, rank 32/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of female students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (41.7 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the average age of new entrants in short-cycle programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.4 Years, rank 31/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of first-time entrants into master's or equivalent programmes before the age of 30 is relatively low. (42.6 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of first-time entrants into doctorate's or equivalent programmes before the age of 30 is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.3 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of women among the new entrants in master's programmes in Costa Rica is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (47.2 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in arts and humanities was among the smallest in Costa Rica compared to other participating countries. (59.1 %, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in social sciences, journalism and information was among the smallest internationally. (57.3 %, rank 29/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of female new entrants to doctoral programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest internationally. (28.6 %, rank 27/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female new entrants to master’s programmes in arts and humanities was one of the smallest internationally. (0 %, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (68.5 %, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of arts and humanities is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (59.3 %, rank 22/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (57.4 %, rank 24/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (65.6 %, rank 24/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica,the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics ans statistics is relatively small. (0 %, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively small. (66.7 %, rank 24/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica,the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively small. (0 %, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (68.2 %, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (67.7 %, rank 29/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in health and welfare in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (44.4 %, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in information and communication technologies in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (19.4 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in education in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (70 %, rank 16/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (59.4 %, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (40 %, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (61.5 %, rank 24/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in information and communication technologies in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (67.7 %, rank 22/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Costa Rica is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (63.5 %, rank 25/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The enrolment rate of children under age 3 in ECEC (ISCED 01) was one of the lowest across participating countries. (2.7 %, rank 29/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among 15-19 year-olds in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (59.4 %, rank 41/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.1 %, rank 40/44 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Costa Rica is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the enrolment rate of children under 3 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.7 %, rank 33/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The average age of lower secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Costa Rica is one of the lowest compared to other countries with available data. (13.4 %, rank 19/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary programmes in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (40.4 %, rank 40/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of two-year-olds in early childhood education in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.6 %, rank 34/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of five-year-olds in ECEC in Costa Rica is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (99.8 %, rank 3/44 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.1 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.5 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.8 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.9 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of arts and humaties in Costa Rica is relatively small. (5.4 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of information and communication technologies in Costa Rica is relatively small. (0 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Costa Rica is relatively small. (2.7 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Costa Rica is relatively small. (0 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 31/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of tertiary graduates in STEM fields in Costa Rica was one of the lowest compared to other participating countries. (18.5 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in the humanities and arts is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (3 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (13.8 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.2 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of male tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively small. (3.2 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is relatively low in Costa Rica. (31.6 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively low. (7.1 %, rank 23/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of health and welfare is relatively low. (3.8 %, rank 27/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in field of health and welfare is relatively small. (0 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 29/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of arts and humanities is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 31/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of education is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 29/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (8.3 %, rank 29/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 30/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively low. (8.3 %, rank 29/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 31/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of new entrants in education master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.6 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of new entrants in arts and humanities master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.5 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of new entrants in Services master's programmes is comparatively low among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 31/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of new entrants in health and welfare bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (4.4 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    In Costa Rica, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total expenditure on tertiary education is relatively low. (0 %, rank 28/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for tertiary education is comparatively large in Costa Rica. (87.9 %, rank 3/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (1234 Hours, rank 1/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year lower secondary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (1274 Hours, rank 1/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year upper secondary teachers spend teaching general programmes in public institutions is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (1274 Hours, rank 1/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The percentage of secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (19.6 %, rank 39/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of lower secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (19.5 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (19.6 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (22.2 %, rank 38/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers younger than 30 in primary education is especially low in Costa Rica. (69.6 %, rank 39/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially low in Costa Rica. (54.7 %, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (32 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of teachers under 30 in early childhood educational development is especially low in Costa Rica. (7.4 %, rank 21/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of women among teaching staff in early childhood educational development is one of the lowest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (84 %, rank 22/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of teachers under 30 in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.9 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In upper secondary education, the percentage of teachers aged 50 or more is particularly low in Costa Rica. (19.9 %, rank 35/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of upper secondary vocational education teachers aged 50 or more is relatively low, compared to the other countries with available data. (19 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32143 USD Equivalent, rank 39/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, an upper secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32143 USD Equivalent, rank 39/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (31779 USD Equivalent, rank 33/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a primary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (31779 USD Equivalent, rank 41/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.79 Ratio, rank 3/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary male teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year men workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.62 Ratio, rank 1/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education are high in Costa Rica. (1.75 Ratio, rank 1/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 55-64 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education are high in Costa Rica. (1.75 Ratio, rank 1/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    Starting salaries for teachers with minimum training in primary education are especially low. (25202 USD Equivalent, rank 45/47 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of primary school teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (29586 USD Equivalent, rank 41/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of primary school teachers with minimum training at the top of scale are especially low. (38356 USD Equivalent, rank 42/44 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for lower secondary teachers with minimum training are especially low. (25488 USD Equivalent, rank 43/47 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (29925 USD Equivalent, rank 40/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training at the top of the scale are especially low. (38797 USD Equivalent, rank 41/44 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for upper secondary teachers with minimum training are especially low. (25488 USD Equivalent, rank 43/47 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of upper secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (29925 USD Equivalent, rank 40/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of upper secondary teachers with minimum training at the top of the scale are especially low. (38797 USD Equivalent, rank 41/44 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for pre-primary teachers with minimum training are especially low. (25202 USD Equivalent, rank 36/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of pre-primary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (29586 USD Equivalent, rank 33/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of pre-primary teachers with minimum training at the top of the scale are especially low. (38356 USD Equivalent, rank 35/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    In Costa Rica, the average actual salaries of 25-34 year-old lower-secondary school heads is relatively low compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (59772 USD Equivalent, rank 16/19 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Costa Rica. (6.9 Ratio, rank 23/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Costa Rica. (6.9 Ratio, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Costa Rica. (6.9 Ratio, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes are particularly large in lower secondary schools. (28 Students, rank 5/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes are particularly small in primary schools. (15 Students, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in public primary institutions are comparatively small in Costa Rica. (14 Students, rank 39/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively large in Costa Rica. (30 Students, rank 4/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, classes in primary education are comparatively small. (15 Students, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (68.4 %, rank 39/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (75.7 %, rank 30/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (66.5 %, rank 31/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (68.6 %, rank 33/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (68 %, rank 4/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low in Costa Rica. (58.1 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Costa Rica. (47.1 %, rank 39/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education is comparatively low. (77.2 %, rank 26/28 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (69.6 %, rank 35/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 45-54 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (74 %, rank 33/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (69.4 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (83.5 %, rank 4/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively low. (86.5 %, rank 37/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (55.3 %, rank 39/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively low in Costa Rica. (84.9 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively low in Costa Rica. (61.7 %, rank 39/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively low in Costa Rica. (54.8 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Costa Rica. (30 %, rank 39/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (55.4 %, rank 35/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (1.6 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (9.6 %, rank 3/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Costa Rica. (1.5 %, rank 36/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Costa Rica, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (9.2 %, rank 36/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (12.8 %, rank 36/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (6.5 %, rank 31/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    The proportional difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old adults with tertiary education and those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is quite substantial. (193 Index, rank 4/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a bachelor's or equivalent education are comparatively high. (216.8 %, rank 3/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a master's, doctoral or equivalent education degree are comparatively high. (337 %, rank 3/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among workers with tertiary education in Costa Rica, the proportion earning between 1.5 and 2 times the median is comparatively low. (13 Index, rank 26/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among workers with tertiary education in Costa Rica, the proportion earning between 0.5 and 1 times the median is comparatively low. (13 Index, rank 28/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (88.8 %, rank 2/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of young women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with tertiary education working full-time full-year), is relatively high compared to OECD and other members with available data (92 %, rank 5/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of men without an upper secondary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Costa Rica is relatively low (13.1 %, rank 32/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training without an upper secondary in Costa Rica is relatively low. (13.1 %, rank 35/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (19.9 %, rank 3/38 , 2025) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
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				Key
            
    
            Diagram of funding flows - Costa Rica
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Country Reviews for Costa Rica
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 for more details about the data collections.
		

    
        For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.