NOTE: Education levels are defined according to the 1997 International Standard
Classification of Education (ISCED97). Ages represent the typical age at the beginning
of the school year.
Numbers in bold print indicate ages of universal enrollment (i.e., an enrollment
rate of over 90 percent). Numbers highlighted represent the age at which compulsory
enrollment begins through the age at which compulsory enrollment ends. No meaning
should be inferred from width of subdivisions. Duration of first university degree
program is generally 4 to 6 years in Saudi Arabia.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2012). Education
at a Glance: OECD Indicators. Paris: Author; United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organization. International Bureau of Education. (2011).
World Data on Education VII Ed. 2010/11, Saudi Arabia. Retrieved April
3, 2013, from
http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/WDE/2010/pdf-versions/Saudi_Arabia.pdf;
World Education Services. (2004). World Education Profiles, Saudi Arabia.
Retrieved April 3, 2013, from
http://www.wes.org/ca/wedb/saudiarabia/saedov.htm.
NOTE: Admission exceptions can be made for children who are no more than 3 months under the age of 6, especially for those who have participated in preprimary education. Schools are not coeducational. Students must pass examinations at the end of each semester in order to move on to the next grade.
NOTE: Students who cannot attend intermediate school during the day can enroll in evening classes. It is also possible to apply for the final examinations for this level without having attended school regularly.
NOTE: Two types of higher education programs are offered: western style and Islamic education. There are also multiple programs that do not fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education (e.g., programs offered at higher technical institutes, technical colleges, and institutes for public administration).
NOTE: Males and females are offered higher education oppor-tunities with the same standards, but programs are segregated by gender.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Bureau of Education. (2011). World Data on Education, 2010/11 (7th edition). Profile on Saudi Arabia. Retrieved April 3, 2013, from http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/WDE/2010/pdf-versions/Saudi_Arabia.pdf.
World Education Services. (2004). Saudi Arabia: Education Overview. Retrieved April 3, 2013, from http://www.wes.org/ca/wedb/saudiarabia/saedov.htm.
10 Sources retrieved in 2013 indicate that the entirety of primary education is compulsory in Saudi Arabia, thus ending at age 12 (i.e., through age 11). This differs from the 2011 data presented in Indicator 2, which indicates the end of compulsory education is age 11 (i.e., through age 10).