The Education System in Saudi Arabia


Figure A-15. Levels of education in Saudi Arabia, by age and year of schooling: 2013

Levels of education in Saudi Arabia, by age and year of schooling: 2013

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.

Preprimary:

  • Common name: Kindergarten
  • Ages of attendance: As early as age 3 through 5
  • Number of years: 1 to 3
  • Start of universal enrollment: Data not available
  • Compulsory: No

Primary:

  • Common name: Primary school, general elementary
  • Ages of attendance: 6 through 11
  • Number of years: 6
  • Universal enrollment: Data not available
  • Compulsory: Yes, begins at age 610

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.

Lower secondary:

  • Common name: Intermediate school
  • Ages of attendance: 12 through 14
  • Number of years: 3
  • Universal enrollment: Data not available
  • Compulsory: No
  • Entrance/exit criteria: At the end of primary school, students must pass an examination to receive the Elementary Education Certificate, which is required for admission to intermediate school.

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.

Upper secondary:

  • Common name: Upper secondary school, secondary education (with different options available for females and males, and options for females more limited)
    • Female: Sciences and arts
    • Male: Religious sciences and Arabic; administrative and social sciences; natural sciences; applied (technological) sciences
  • Ages: 15 through 17 (graduation generally at age 18)
  • Number of years: 3
  • Universal enrollment: Data not available
  • Compulsory: No
  • Entrance/exit criteria: An Intermediate Education Certificate is required for admission. At the end of upper secondary school, successful students receive the General Secondary Education Certificate. Students (males only) who have completed their education in religious programs receive the Religious Institute Secondary Education Certificate. Technical and vocational education is provided at technical secondary institutes. Training programs in the fields of industry, commerce, and agriculture normally last 3 years.

Postsecondary and tertiary:

  • Common name: Higher education, university, girls' colleges
  • Ages of attendance: Varies
  • Number of years: Varies according to degree or program
  • Universal enrollment: No
  • Entrance criteria: Yes; admission to different institutions is dependent on General Secondary Education Certificate examination scores. An average score of 60 percent is required for admission to science programs and 50 percent is needed to enter arts and humanities programs. Additional entrance exams may be required for certain programs.

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).

Common programs:

  • Postsecondary diploma: 2-year program offered by colleges of technology.
  • Bachelor's of science: 3-year program offered by colleges of technology.
  • Teaching degree: 4-year university-based program, except for kindergarten teachers (who are trained in 3 year secondary training programs) and girls' school elementary teachers (who complete 4-year postsecondary programs at intermediate education colleges).
  • Bachelor's degree: 4-year programs for humanities and social sciences; 5- to 6-year programs for medicine, engineering, and pharmacy.
  • Higher diploma in education: 1-year program after the bachelor's degree (required in order to teach at the intermediate or secondary level).
  • Master's degree: 2-year programs offered at universities and girls' colleges that involve coursework and a minor thesis for completion.
  • Doctoral degree: 3- to 5-year program after the master's degree. Few doctoral degree programs are offered at Saudi Arabian universities; most students who pursue doctoral studies prefer to do so overseas.

NOTE: Males and females are offered higher education oppor-tunities with the same standards, but programs are segregated by gender.

Sources:

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.

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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).