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Costa Rica
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Costa Rica
Overview of the education system (EAG 2022)
  • Between 2000 and 2021, the share of 25-34 year-olds with tertiary attainment in Costa Rica increased albeit at a slower pace than on average across OECD countries, by 13 percentage points (from 18% in 2000 to 30% in 2021).
  • In Costa Rica, 30% of 25-34 year-olds had a tertiary qualification in 2021 compared to 47% on average across OECD countries.
  • In Costa Rica, the share of women among general upper secondary graduates is 54% (OECD average 55%). Men make up 48% of all vocational upper secondary graduates, below the OECD average (55%).
  • Pre-primary teachers in Costa Rica earn 18.7% more than other tertiary-educated workers, primary teachers earn 22.9%, lower and upper secondary (general programme) teachers 47.4%.
  • Based on official regulations or agreements,annual teaching hours in Costa Rica are 800 hours per year at pre-primary level, 1 209 hours at primary level, 1 248 hours at lower secondary level (general programmes) and 1 248 hours at upper secondary level (general programmes).
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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. (45 %, rank 3/42 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.8 %, rank 39/42 , 2021) 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. (57.4 %, rank 3/43 , 2021) 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. (18 %, rank 42/43 , 2021) 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 35/37 , 2021) 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. (14.3 %, rank 41/42 , 2021) 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 lowest among countries with available data. (1.4 %, rank 36/39 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Costa Rica is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.5 %, rank 2/42 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Costa Rica is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41.3 %, rank 5/42 , 2021) 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 lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.8 %, rank 41/42 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Attainment by field of education

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of arts is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2.4 %, rank 14/18 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (10.2 %, rank 30/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of business, administration and law is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (35.2 %, rank 2/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2.1 %, rank 30/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (10.1 %, rank 29/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The enrolment rate of 6-14 year-olds in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (94.7 %, rank 41/43 , 2020) 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. (63.3 %, rank 39/41 , 2020) 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. (5.6 %, rank 35/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of 20-24 year-olds in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24 %, rank 39/41 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 3-5 year-old children in early childhood and primary education in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (63.7 %, rank 34/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 17 in general upper secondary programmes in Costa Rica is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.3 %, rank 39/42 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 20 in general upper secondary programmes in Costa Rica is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.7 %, rank 5/41 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    In Costa Rica, the percentage of master's or equivalent graduates in public institutions is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.1 %, rank 31/34 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of doctorate graduates in public institutions is relatively low in Costa Rica. (39.8 %, rank 34/36 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (53.9 %, rank 3/40 , 2020) 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. (6.1 %, rank 38/40 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9 %, rank 35/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of education is relatively high in Costa Rica. (17.3 %, rank 2/41 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of male tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively small. (3.7 %, rank 37/41 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is relatively low in Costa Rica. (27.8 %, rank 37/38 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Graduation by age

    The average age of upper secondary graduates from general programmes in Costa Rica is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (20.8 Years, rank 1/38 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in the humanities and arts is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (3.3 %, rank 37/40 , 2020) Download Indicator

    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. (3.4 %, rank 37/40 , 2020) 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. (5.6 %, rank 36/40 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36 %, rank 4/40 , 2020) 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. (7.5 %, rank 38/40 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of arts and humaties in Costa Rica is relatively small. (1.9 %, rank 42/42 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Costa Rica is relatively small. (13 %, rank 39/42 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Costa Rica is relatively small. (0 %, rank 42/42 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Costa Rica is relatively small. (0 %, rank 41/42 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of business, aministration and law is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (45.2 %, rank 1/33 , 2020) 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 32/33 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Costa Rica, international or foreign students from Latin America and the Caribbean are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (89.8 %, rank 3/74 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Costa Rica, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (5.9 %, rank 3/40 , 2019) Download Indicator

    From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in the number of full-time equivalent student in tertiary education is one of the smallest in Costa Rica. (-7.2 %, rank 40/40 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Public and private expenditure in education

    The share of private expenditure on tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.9 %, rank 33/37 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total expenditure on tertiary education is relatively low. (0 %, rank 27/31 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for tertiary education is comparatively large. (91 %, rank 2/37 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Compared to 2015, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total government expenditure, for primary to tertiary education is comparatively small. (64 Index, rank 37/37 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Compared to 2015, the share of total government expenditure is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (155 Index, rank 1/42 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (1209 Hours, rank 1/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year lower secondary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in Costa Rica. (1248 Hours, rank 1/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The number of days of instruction in a school year in lower secondary school is especially high. (195 Days, rank 4/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The percentage of primary teachers younger than 30 is especially low. (6.1 %, rank 34/38 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially high. (68.5 %, rank 2/37 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of lower secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (19.5 %, rank 33/35 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (19.5 %, rank 36/37 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers younger than 30 in primary education is especially low in Costa Rica. (65.5 %, rank 36/38 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially low in Costa Rica. (56.2 %, rank 31/35 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively small . (44.1 %, rank 30/33 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (62.9 %, rank 1/29 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of tertiary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (62.9 %, rank 1/32 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of short-cycle tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (6.9 %, rank 23/23 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (32 %, rank 26/29 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (31.9 %, rank 29/32 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of short-cycle tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (37.9 %, rank 1/23 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of short-cycle tertiary female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (45.5 %, rank 18/22 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (44 %, rank 27/30 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of tertiary female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (0 %, rank 23/23 , 2019) 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. (19472 USD Equivalent, rank 31/32 , 2021) 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. (19472 USD Equivalent, rank 31/32 , 2021) 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. (18740 USD Equivalent, rank 25/26 , 2021) 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. (18740 USD Equivalent, rank 32/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.19 Ratio, rank 3/19 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The ratio of primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.23 Ratio, rank 3/23 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.47 Ratio, rank 1/23 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.47 Ratio, rank 1/23 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The change between 2005 and 2013 in statutory salaries for primary teachers with 15 years of experience and minimum training is comparatively small in Costa Rica. (87 Index, rank 28/29 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The change between 2005 and 2013 in statutory salaries for lower secondary teachers with 15 years of experience and minimum training is comparatively small in Costa Rica. (65 Index, rank 29/29 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The change between 2003 and 2013 in statutory salaries for upper secondary teachers with 15 years of experience and minimum training is comparatively small in Costa Rica. (65 Index, rank 29/29 , 2021) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, an upper secondary teacher can expect to have one of the lowest salaries per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28 USD Equivalent, rank 28/28 , 2021) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a primary teacher can expect to have one of the lowest salaries per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28 USD Equivalent, rank 28/29 , 2021) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher can expect to have one of the lowest salaries per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28 USD Equivalent, rank 29/29 , 2021) 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 is high in Costa Rica. (1.44 Ratio, rank 1/19 , 2021) 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 is high in Costa Rica. (1.43 Ratio, rank 1/19 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The change in statutory pre-primary teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in their careers is comparatively small in Costa Rica. (86 Index, rank 22/22 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    Starting salaries for teachers with minimum training in primary education are especially low. (14916 USD Equivalent, rank 37/38 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of primary school teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (17465 USD Equivalent, rank 33/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of primary school teachers with minimum training at the top of scale are especially low. (22564 USD Equivalent, rank 32/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for lower secondary teachers with minimum training are especially low. (15489 USD Equivalent, rank 37/38 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (18144 USD Equivalent, rank 33/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training at the top of scale are especially low. (23455 USD Equivalent, rank 32/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for upper secondary teachers with minimum training are especially low. (15489 USD Equivalent, rank 37/38 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of upper secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (18144 USD Equivalent, rank 33/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of upper secondary teachers with minimum training at the top of scale are especially low. (23455 USD Equivalent, rank 32/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for pre-primary teachers with minimum training are especially low. (14916 USD Equivalent, rank 28/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of pre-primary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially low. (17465 USD Equivalent, rank 26/27 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Salaries of pre-primary teachers with minimum training at the top of scale are especially low. (22564 USD Equivalent, rank 26/27 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In lower secondary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is comparatively high. (2.69 Ratio, rank 3/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    Lower-secondary school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is high in Costa Rica. (2.11 Ratio, rank 1/20 , 2021) Download Indicator

    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. (50588 USD Equivalent, rank 12/15 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of lower secondary women school heads aged 25 to 64 is one of the lowest in Costa Rica. (67247 USD Equivalent, rank 16/20 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Professional development of teachers

    The total duration for intial teacher pre-primary education, in years, is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (2 Years, rank 28/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The total duration for intial teacher primary education, in years, is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (3 Years, rank 28/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The total duration for intial teacher lower-secondary education, in years, and for general programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (3 Years, rank 30/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The total duration for intial teacher upper-secondary education, in years, and for general programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (3 Years, rank 31/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in private institutions is especially low in Costa Rica. (7.7 Ratio, rank 36/39 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the number of students per teacher in all private secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.1 Ratio, rank 35/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Class size

    Classes in public primary institutions are comparatively small in Costa Rica. (16 Students, rank 34/35 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively large in Costa Rica. (36 Students, rank 1/33 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, classes in primary education are comparatively small. (16 Students, rank 31/31 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (72.1 %, rank 32/36 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education is comparatively low. (70.5 %, rank 30/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (6 %, rank 42/43 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Costa Rica. (49.5 %, rank 39/42 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Employment by field of education

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of educaton is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (76.9 %, rank 28/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of humanities (except languages), social sciences, journalism and information is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (74.2 %, rank 28/29 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (73.8 %, rank 29/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of business and administration is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (81.3 %, rank 14/17 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of law is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (81.9 %, rank 13/15 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of health and welfare is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (79.7 %, rank 29/31 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old with a short cycle tertiary education degree is relatively high in Costa Rica. (15.6 %, rank 2/28 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of adults who have been unemployed for at least a year among all unemployed adults with below upper secondary education is relatively low. (20.9 %, rank 33/37 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of adults who have been unemployed for at least 3 months but less than a year among all unemployed adults with below upper secondary education is relatively low. (21.4 %, rank 27/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of adults who have been unemployed for less than 3 months among all unemployed adults with below upper secondary education is relatively high. (57.6 %, rank 3/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of adults who have been unemployed for at least 3 months but less than a year among all unemployed adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (27 %, rank 26/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the proportion of adults who have been unemployed for less than 3 months among all unemployed adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (45.5 %, rank 3/30 , 2021) 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 high. (208 %, rank 4/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Earnings of 25-64 year-old full and part-time workers with tertiary education are comparatively high. (211.8 %, rank 4/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of workers earning more than twice the median among those with a bachelor's or equivalent education degree is comparatively high. (53.2 %, rank 2/28 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, earnings of 25-64 year-old workers with a bachelor's or equivalent education degree compared to those of workers with upper secondary education are comparatively to other countries high. (209.2 %, rank 2/32 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds full- and part-time with below secondary education compared to those of adults with an upper secondary education are relatively low in Costa Rica. (68.7 %, rank 35/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds with below secondary education compared to those of adults with an upper secondary education are relatively low in Costa Rica. (72.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education are one of the highest among countries with available data. (88.1 %, rank 4/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a master's or doctoral or equivalent education degree is comparatively high. (82 %, rank 2/28 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, earnings of 25-64 year-old workers with a master's or equivalent education degree are comparatively high. (324.9 %, rank 2/32 , 2020) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a tertiary education degree is comparatively . (49.9 %, rank 2/38 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education are one of the highest among countries with available data. (97.5 %, rank 1/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education are one of the highest among countries with available data. (101 %, rank 1/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education are one of the highest among countries with available data. (80.8 %, rank 5/37 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Earnings by field of education

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated full- and part-time adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of business, administration and law, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (93.9 %, rank 17/17 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of business, administration and law, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (93.4 %, rank 16/16 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated full- and part-time adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of education, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (111.3 %, rank 1/17 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of education, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (112 %, rank 1/16 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated full- and part-time adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (89.5 %, rank 17/17 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (88.4 %, rank 16/16 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated full- and part-time adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of health and welfare, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (113.2 %, rank 2/17 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of health and welfare, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (119.2 %, rank 3/16 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated full- and part-time adults in Costa Rica who studied in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (107.1 %, rank 14/17 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Costa Rica is one of the highest among countries with available data. (15.7 %, rank 2/37 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The share of youth who have been unemployed for at least 3 months but less than a year and not in formal education or training among 18-24 year-olds in Costa Rica is one of the highest among countries with available data. (5 %, rank 2/26 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The share of youth who have been unemployed for less than 3 months and not in formal education or training among 18-24 year-olds in Costa Rica is one of the highest among countries with available data. (8.7 %, rank 1/27 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Costa Rica, the share of women neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively high. (33.4 %, rank 5/39 , 2021) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                            
    • Tertiary attainment has increased strongly in most OECD countries among 25-34 year olds. The average share of younger adults with a tertiary degree has increased from 27% in 2000 to 48% in 2021.
    • Higher educational attainment leads to better labour-market outcomes including higher wages and higher employment rates.
    • Expenditure on tertiary education accounts for 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on average across OECD countries or 30% of all education funding allocated to educational institutions.
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    • Tertiary attainment has increased strongly in most OECD countries among 25-34 year-olds. The average share of younger adults with a tertiary degree has increased from 27% in 2000 to 48% in 2021. In this age group, the share of individuals with tertiary attainment is 7 percentage points higher than the share of individuals with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment on average across OECD countries. If current trends continue, a tertiary education will be the most common attainment among working-age adults on average across OECD countries within a few years.
    • Higher educational attainment leads to better labour-market outcomes. In 2021, on average, employment rates for tertiary-educated young adults (25-34 year-olds) are 8 percentage points higher than those who have attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education and 26 percentage points higher than those who have attained below upper secondary education across OECD countries.
    • Greater educational attainment yields better earnings and this holds true for higher levels of tertiary attainment in most countries. On average across the OECD, full-time full-year workers who attained short-cycle tertiary education earned 20% more than those with upper secondary attainment in 2020. This earnings advantage increases to 44% among those who attained a bachelor's or equivalent qualification and to 88% among those with a master's or doctoral or equivalent degree.
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    • On average, the vast majority (88%) of children between the age of 3 and 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (ECE) across the OECD. In a few countries, it is also common for younger children between the age of 0 and 2 to participate in ECE and over 50% of children in this age group are enrolled. However, only 27% of under-threes are enrolled in ECE on average across the OECD.
    • In almost all countries with available data, the majority of upper secondary graduates from general programmes are women. Men dominate graduation from vocational programmes in almost three-quarters of the countries.
    • While the average age of first-time graduates from general upper secondary education does not differ much across countries, the difference widens in vocational education, ranging from 16 to 34 years.
    • Around one-fifth of tertiary students are enrolled on a part-time basis, but large differences exist across OECD countries. Studying part-time is especially common in many Nordic countries, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, where more than 30% of students study part-time. However, in some countries like the Czech Republic, and Greece, less than 5% of students study part-time.
    • Students are more likely to cross borders to pursue their studies as they reach more advanced levels of education. Internationally mobile students account for only 7% of bachelor's students, but 17% of master's students and 26% of doctoral students on average in OECD countries.
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    • Total public spending on education (from primary to tertiary level) averages 10.6% of total government expenditure across OECD countries, from around 7% to 17%. The largest share of government funding is devoted to primary and secondary levels, explained by near-universal enrolment rates at those levels of education and the greater contribution of private sources at tertiary level.
    • On average across OECD countries, expenditure on primary education amounts to 30% of the funding for educational institutions, while secondary education accounts for 39%.
    • In 2019, OECD countries spent an average of USD 17 559 per student per year at the tertiary level. However, this average is driven up by high values in a few countries, reaching over USD 25 000 in Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
    • On average across OECD countries, 63% of total expenditure on tertiary educational institutions goes to core services (e.g. teachers' salaries, school buildings, teaching materials and administration), 33% on research and development activities, and 4% on ancillary services (e.g. meals and transport).
    • Expenditure on tertiary education accounts for 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on average across OECD countries or 30% of all education funding allocated to educational institutions.
    • On average across OECD countries, public funds account for 83% of total spending on educational institutions. Private sources are more important at the tertiary level, where they make up 31% of all expenditure compared to just 10% at the non-tertiary levels (primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary).
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    • Teachers' actual salaries at pre-primary, primary and general secondary level are 4-14% lower than the earnings of tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries and other participants. School heads' actual salaries are substantially higher than those of teachers across primary and secondary education.
    • Teachers in public schools in OECD and partner countries are required to teach on average 987 hours per year at pre-primary level, 784 hours at primary level, 711 hours at lower secondary level (general programmes) and 684 hours at upper secondary level (general and vocational programmes).
    • Typically, the duration of initial teacher education programmes varies from 3 years to 6.5 years, for prospective lower secondary teachers of general subjects. A tertiary qualification is awarded upon completion of the programme in most countries, regardless of the level of education at which the teacher will teach.
    • Continuing professional development is compulsory to some extent for teachers of general subjects at least at one level of education in most countries with data, except Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand. It can be either generally compulsory for all teachers as a regular part of their work, or for some teachers for specific purposes such as promotion or salary increases, or in some cases, both.
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    Key
    Diagram of funding flows - Costa Rica

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    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: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/

    *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 Annex 3 of EAG 2021 for more details about the data collections.

    B-S-J-Z (China) refers to the four PISA-participating provinces/municipalities of the People's Republic of China: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

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