Admission standards

University admission in Mexico

Official minimum entry requirements and the school system, from the country's UNESCO classification and national sources.

Official entry requirements

As classified by the country with UNESCO (ISCED 2011), reference year 2019. Universities may set higher requirements.

School-leaving qualification (upper secondary)

Upper Secondary Education (General Programs)3 years, from age 15
Minimum entry: Completed lower secondary (ISCED 244)
Awards: Upper Secondary Education Certificate

Bachelor's or equivalent (first degree)

Teacher's College (Bachelor´s Degree Program)4 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)
Awards: Bachelor´s Degree Certificate and University title

Short-cycle tertiary (diplomas)

Technical Professional Education (Technological Institute Program)2 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)
Awards: Vocational Associate Certificate and Title

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), ISCED 2011 mappings (country file). CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UIS terms).

School system (official durations)

Primary: 6 years from age 6
Lower secondary: 3 years from age 12
Upper secondary: 3 years from age 15
Compulsory education: 14 years
Tertiary enrolment (gross): 48.2% (2024)

Data year 2025. Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), https://api.uis.unesco.org/api/public, extracted 2026-11-10. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Licence.

Regulators and quality agencies

Inter Institutional Committees for the Evaluation of Higher Education (CIEES)Listed by INQAAHE
Federation of Mexican Private Higher Education Institutions (FIMPES)Listed by INQAAHE
Accreditation Council for Administrative, Accounting and Related Sciences (CACECA)Listed by INQAAHE
Accreditation in Computing and Computer AC (CONAIC)Listed by INQAAHE
Mexican Council for the Accreditation of Medical Education (COMAEM)Listed by INQAAHE

From INQAAHE. Network membership is not government recognition: confirm a body's role with the education ministry.

Universities and colleges

711 institutions in Mexico

All countries