Education in Mexico is overseen and regulated by Mexico’s Ministry of Public Education, equivalent to the Ministry of Education in other countries. All education standards are set forth by this government Ministry at all levels, except for universities holding legal status as "autonomous" which are chartered by the government. Private school accreditation is achieved by mandatory approval and registration before this Ministry.
The education system in Mexico includes a variety of levels, as determined by the age and proficiency of the student.
Are there any bilingual basic education and upper secondary education options in Mexico?
- From Kindergarten to High School levels, you can find both public and private education institutions.
- In some Mexican cities, there are international and bilingual schools. The International Baccalaureate and other accreditation in Mexico are also available.
- Admission and enrollment procedures are subject to different criteria and requirements, varying from school to school.
- Admission and enrollment procedures vary from school to school.
Higher Education in Mexico
There are currently different systems of higher education in Mexico:
- Public universities
- Technological institutes
- Technological universities
- Private institutions
- Teacher training colleges.
There are more than 1,300 institutions of higher education in Mexico. But only a few offer full programs in English. For this reason, students may require having reading comprehension skills for one or two languages besides Spanish.
The course duration varies among academic institutions, depending on the level and type of program.
Are there Spanish language schools in Mexico?
Mexico has many language schools, which offer programs for all ages and skill levels. If you would like to improve your existing Spanish language skills or master your Spanish, there is a school and a course for you in Mexico.
Mexican Education System
Preschool
Educación Preescolar
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Preschool starts as early as 3 years of age.
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Elementary School
Primaria
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Elementary education in Mexico -age 6 to 12 years of age.
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Middle School or Junior High School
Secundaria
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Junior High school -age 12-15 years of age.
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High School or Preparatory School
Preparatoria
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High School -age 15-18 years of age.
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Higher Education
Universidad
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University education consists of the following:
*04 years for a bachelor’s degree undergraduate level (or “Licenciatura”)
*02 years for a Master’s degree (or “Maestría”)
*03 years for a Doctoral degree (or “Doctorado”)
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Mexican Grading System
Academic grading in Mexico employs a decimal system, that is, it goes from 0 to 10, in order to measure students' grade. Such grades are the following:
Score 10:
Excellent
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Score 9:
Very Good
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Score 8:
Good
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Score 7:
Average
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Score 6:
Insufficient
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Score 0–5.9:
Insufficient/Failed
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A score of 100 becomes the highest score and a score of 60 is the minimum passing grade. Depending on the school or academic institution, the official certificate may use the 0–100 range, or these may be converted back to the 0–10 range.
Schools in Mexico
Mexico has public, private, and international schools.
- Public schools: are limited in resources, particularly in rural areas.
- Private schools: are bilingual and have better facilities and a broader curriculum.
- International schools: are located in urban centers like Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Many of them follow the British, American, German, French, or Japanese curriculum. Fees are high and places are limited.
- Homeschooling: some families send their children to regular school in the morning – so they can learn Spanish and make local friends – and then homeschool them in the afternoon.
List of schools in Mexico City click here