Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 55.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
55.3%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
76th
of 149 countries
All-time high
55.9%
in 2022
All-time low
52.4%
in 2002
Years of data
22
1999–2024
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Costa Rica, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 55.3% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2024.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Costa Rica peaked at 55.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 52.4%, in 2002.
That places Costa Rica 76th out of 149 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 52.8% | — |
| 2000 | 53.4% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 52.7% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 52.4% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 54.5% | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 54.5% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 54.3% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 53.4% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 53.4% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 52.8% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 53.1% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 53.3% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 55.2% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 53.4% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 54.0% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 54.1% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 54.3% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 54.9% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 55.8% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 55.9% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 55.7% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 55.3% | -0.7% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 55.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 57.0%, 97% of the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 55.3% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 59.6%, 93% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 52.8% | 52.8% | 52.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.6% | 52.4% | 54.5% | 7 |
| 2010s | 53.7% | 52.8% | 55.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 55.5% | 54.9% | 55.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More education data for Costa Rica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 37,015 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14,772 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 62,694 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 61,047 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 464,490 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 460,126 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -3.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0897 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Costa Rica?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Costa Rica was 55.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 55.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.4% in 2002.
- How does Costa Rica rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Costa Rica ranks 76th out of 149 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release