Costa Rica’s literacy rate is 96%.

Since 1869, public education in Costa Rica is free and mandatory. The educational system is ranked 32nd in the world, the highest in Latin America, according to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009.

There are more than 9,300 educational institutions in Costa Rica.

There are over 200 private schools registered with the Ministry of Education, most of them are bilingual (English, German, French or Hebrew), and offer worldwide recognized programs such as the Advanced Placement (AP) and the International Baccalaureate (IB).

For those relocating to Costa Rica and in need of an internationally certified school, there are seven schools that provide international diplomas certified by organizations such as the SACS, NEASC and MSA. Those schools are: American International School, Blue Valley School, British School, Country Day School, Lincoln School, Marian Baker School, Pan-American School and Falcon International School.

There are also over 50 universities in Costa Rica, some are the University of Costa Rica, the National University and the Universidad Estatal a Distancia.

If you need information regarding title or diploma authentication from an institution in the United States, please click here: Authentications  

Costa Rican citizens can access information on scholarships in www.rree.go.cr