Education System in Puerto Rico

Primary Education

The Puerto Rico education system is based on the American model, although the teaching language is Spanish, at least at public schools. School is compulsory from ages 5 to 18, of which the first 6 grades are delivered in primary school.

Middle Education

Secondary Education

Secondary schooling completes the final 7 years of the Puerto Rican pre-tertiary education program. The state curriculum is basic. For this reason the children of wealthier parents often attend private schools, where they can specialize and be taught in English.

Vocational Education

Vocational and adult education is largely in the hands of private firms where a variety of programs are available in larger urban areas.

Tertiary Education

There are a wide variety of post-secondary colleges and universities in Puerto Rico. Some of these are state-controlled while others are privately owned. The oldest public institution is the University of Puerto Rico, which was established in 1906 in Rio Pedros, San Juan.

Its faculties include architecture, business administration, communication, education, humanities, informational sciences & technologies, law, natural sciences, planning, and social sciences. It also has graduate schools of planning and informatics technology.