Primary and Secondary Schools in Mexico

Primary and secondary schools in Mexico are run by the federal and state governments and by private institutions, under the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP). Mexico's Constitution groups early childhood, preschool, primary and lower secondary education as basic education (educación básica) and makes basic education, from preschool onwards, and upper secondary education (educación media superior) compulsory. According to the SEP's figures for 2024-2025, quoted by UNESCO's SITEAL education profile, Mexico had about 23.4 million pupils in basic education and 5.5 million in upper secondary education, in some 262,000 schools across all levels. About 5.6 million of the 34.4 million students in the whole system attended private institutions.

How school education in Mexico is organised

• Preschool (preescolar): compulsory, for children aged 3 to 5
• Primary school (primaria): six grades, compulsory; children start at 6 years old (age reached by 31 December of the school year)
• Lower secondary school (secundaria): three grades, compulsory; offered as general, technical, community secondary and telesecundaria (distance-supported secondary)
• Upper secondary education (media superior): usually from age 15 to 17, as general bachillerato, technological bachillerato or vocational training (preparatoria is a common name for the bachillerato)

Public basic education is free and secular; the SEP's basic education office describes it as public, secular, free, inclusive and intercultural. The current curriculum follows the Nueva Escuela Mexicana model, and for upper secondary the SEP introduced a new framework, the Modelo Educativo 2025. Primary and secondary schools are run by the education authorities of each state and Mexico City, so enrolment procedures and some dates vary from state to state. The SEP publishes a national school calendar that applies to public schools and to private schools incorporated into the national education system. The SEP also runs a national English programme (Programa Nacional de Inglés) for basic education.

Public, private and international schools

Private schools must have official authorisation or recognition of their studies (reconocimiento de validez oficial de estudios, RVOE) for their certificates to be valid in the national system. The SEP defines the RVOE as the act by which the education authority incorporates a private school's study plan into the national system. An RVOE applies to a specific programme, not automatically to everything a school teaches, so families should check it for the level their child will attend.

Some private schools offer an additional foreign curriculum. Spain's Ministry of Education, for example, has agreements with two schools in Mexico, the Colegio Madrid in Mexico City and the Colegio Cristóbal Colón in Veracruz, whose pupils can also obtain the Spanish secondary school certificate (Graduado en Enseñanza Secundaria) and Bachillerato. UCO Prepa Contemporánea in Querétaro is an example of a private upper secondary school (preparatoria) listed on this site.

Admission and recognition for foreign students

For studies completed outside Mexico to count at primary, secondary or upper secondary level, the SEP has a procedure for the recognition of foreign studies (revalidación de estudios de educación básica y media superior); families should check the requirements with the education authority of their state before the school year starts. Foreign students who come to Mexico to study for more than 180 days apply for a temporary resident student visa (Visa de Residencia Temporal de Estudiante) at a Mexican consulate; all visa applications require an appointment.

Costs and funding

Public basic education is free. Private schools set their own fees, which vary widely by city and type of school; there are no official fee ranges. The federal government funds scholarship programmes for pupils in public schools, such as the Beca Universal de Educación Básica Rita Cetina and the Becas para el Bienestar Benito Juárez.

How to choose a school in Mexico

• Official status: for a private school, the RVOE or incorporation for the right level
• Curriculum: Mexican national programme only, or an additional foreign or international programme
• Language: Spanish, bilingual teaching, and how much English is taught
• Level and track: general or technological bachillerato for upper secondary
• Calendar: whether the school follows the SEP calendar
• Location and fees: public school in your area or private school with its own fees

Frequently asked questions

Is school compulsory in Mexico?

Yes. Preschool, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education are compulsory under the Constitution. Primary school has six grades and lower secondary three.

What is the preparatoria in Mexico?

It is the common name for the bachillerato, part of upper secondary education (media superior), usually taken from age 15 to 17. It leads to higher education.

How can I check that a private school in Mexico is official?

Ask for its reconocimiento de validez oficial de estudios (RVOE) or incorporation to the national education system for the level your child will attend. The RVOE is granted per programme.

Do foreign students need a visa to study at a school in Mexico?

For stays longer than 180 days, foreign students need a temporary resident student visa from a Mexican consulate. Requirements depend on nationality, so check with the consulate.