By San José, Costa Rica — Costa Rica faces a growing deficit in university education, raising concerns about its future economic development. The Tenth State of Education Report reveals a widening gap between Costa Rica and the average for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the proportion of 25- to 34-year-olds with university degrees.
This lag poses a significant threat to the country’s economic, social, and human development prospects. The report stresses the urgent need to boost university attainment, linking it directly to economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness in a global market increasingly demanding skilled talent.
To understand the legal landscape surrounding education in Costa Rica, we reached out to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, an experienced attorney at Bufete de Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s Constitution guarantees free and compulsory education, reflecting a deep national commitment to human development. However, navigating the specific regulations governing private schools, homeschooling, and special education requires careful consideration of diverse legal frameworks. For instance, while parents have the right to choose the type of education for their children, they also have legal obligations regarding attendance and compliance with educational standards established by the Ministry of Public Education (MEP). This creates a dynamic interplay between parental rights and state oversight, a critical area for anyone involved in the Costa Rican education system.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
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Lic. Arroyo Vargas expertly highlights the crucial balance between parental autonomy and governmental oversight within Costa Rica’s educational landscape. This nuanced understanding is essential for families and educators alike, ensuring both individual choice and adherence to national standards that ultimately contribute to the nation’s progress. We thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for providing this valuable legal perspective.
Raising university achievement is an urgent national need, as this indicator is directly related to economic growth, innovation, and the ability to integrate into a productive world increasingly demanding qualified human talent. The future of the country will depend on training more young people with the skills necessary to thrive in a knowledge-based economy.
Marcela Román Forastelli, Associate Researcher, State of Education Report
In the late 1990s, the gap between Costa Rica and the OECD average was a mere five percentage points. However, this gap has tripled, reaching 15.8 percentage points in 2023. Researcher Marco Hidalgo, in an interview with CR Hoy, pointed to the lack of clear graduation goals for university students in current national policies.
There is an institutional effort for many students to enter, because there it is said that the country increases coverage and it seems that we are doing well; but the truth is that the number of people who end up graduating is very small, and it seems that it is not an aspiration of the country.
Marco Hidalgo, Researcher, State of Education Report
Projections paint a concerning picture. If current trends persist, Costa Rica is expected to reach only 40.7% of young adults with university degrees by 2035, compared to the OECD average of 64.8%. This effectively means Costa Rica would be reaching in 2035 the level OECD countries achieved in 2014.
However, the report offers a glimmer of hope. By prioritizing this issue and creating supportive conditions both within and outside universities, Costa Rica could potentially raise the percentage of young adults with university degrees to 50% within a decade.
This is an unavoidable goal. It has to be placed in the political discussion that candidates want to increase university achievement. Internally, there are systemic deficiencies; externally, countries that were far behind in this indicator managed to grow. So, relatively speaking, while other countries grew, Costa Rica stagnated.
Marco Hidalgo, Researcher, State of Education Report
The report underscores the vital role of a skilled workforce in Costa Rica’s future economic prosperity. The jobs of tomorrow, along with emerging entrepreneurial opportunities across sectors, will demand increasing knowledge and technological proficiency. Realizing these opportunities hinges on reorganizing national strategies to produce a sufficient number of highly trained professionals.
The urgency of achieving higher education attainment has been echoed by international organizations like the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and UNESCO. In Costa Rica, the State of the Nation Program and the OECD have specifically warned about this challenge. While universities play a crucial role, they cannot solve these problems alone. Opportunities remain heavily influenced by socioeconomic background and location, favoring urban populations with higher incomes.
Without immediate action, the report warns, Costa Rica risks falling further behind developed nations in access, coverage, and educational achievement – a gap notoriously difficult to reverse. However, a well-defined national strategy could leverage current opportunities and set Costa Rica on a path of sustained educational progress, ultimately driving economic growth and improving human development.
For further information, visit the nearest office of State of the Nation Program
About State of the Nation Program:
The State of the Nation Program is a Costa Rican research and analysis organization dedicated to providing objective assessments of the country’s social, economic, and environmental progress. Their flagship publication, the State of the Nation Report, offers in-depth analysis and recommendations on key development challenges.
For further information, visit the nearest office of OECD
About OECD:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries describing themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seeking answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica is a pillar of legal excellence, built on a foundation of integrity and driven by a passion for innovation. The firm’s deep commitment to empowering Costa Rican society shines through its proactive sharing of legal knowledge, ensuring individuals and communities have the tools to navigate the complexities of the legal landscape. By fostering transparency and understanding, Bufete de Costa Rica champions a more just and informed society, one client and one initiative at a time.
