Algeria’s education system includes ten years of compulsory schooling. Usually, after one year of early education, children attend primary school
, from the age of six to 11, and middle (or lower-secondary) school for the following four years until the age of 15. Elementary and middle education is free for Algerian citizens, and attendance is compulsory. Afterward, students may attend three years of secondary school and obtain a high school diploma (
), which is required to access tertiary education. In recent years, increased education access and quality contributed to the rising literacy levels in Algeria. The latest figures reported a literacy rate of 81 percent
.
Compulsory basic education
Basic education in Algeria includes nine years of primary and middle schooling. In the 2019/2020 school year, around 4.7 million pupils attended primary school in Algeria, the highest
number of enrollees among all educational levels. Boys registered a higher elementary school attendance than girls in recent years. In 2019/2020, around 2.4 million
pupils were boys, while girls amounted to roughly 2.3 million. Although middle education is mandatory, the enrollment rate is lower than in primary schools. In 2020, around 3.1 million students were enrolled in middle schools.
Lower enrollment in high school
In Algeria, secondary education corresponds to high school and lasts three years. In the last two academic years, students can specialize in different fields, such as humanities, sciences, and technology. The
number of students enrolled in secondary institutions amounted to around 1.3 million in the 2019/2020 school year, a lower number compared to the previous education cycles. Upon successful completion of high school, students in Algeria can access tertiary education, including universities.
More women than men in universities
Around 1.5 million students
attended higher education in Algeria in 2020. Women represented the majority of the students, accounting for approximately a third of the enrollees. Indeed, the
gross enrollment rate in tertiary education was higher among women than men, while the average stood at 52.5 percent in 2020. Business administration, law, arts, and humanities are among the most popular
fields of study for Algerian university students. In contrast, degrees in agriculture, forestry, and veterinary subjects account for the lowest share of graduates. After graduation, entering the labor market is often challenging. Among all educational levels, people holding a higher education degree face the highest
unemployment rate in the country.
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