Colombia hits record university enrollment and expands free public higher education

Colombia’s higher‑education system reached a historic peak in 2025, with 2.72 million students enrolled – the highest ever. University‑level coverage rose to 61.7 %, surpassing the 60 % mark for the first time, and the share of students entering university immediately after school increased to 47.9 %.

The government’s free‑tuition policy now benefits roughly 939 000 students, covering 97 % of enrolments at public universities. Public investment in higher education also hit a record, with real transfers to institutions rising 55.8 % between 2022 and 2026, reaching 13.7 trillion pesos and totaling 11.1 trillion pesos overall. This financing boost has strengthened infrastructure, operations and expanded seats, narrowing urban‑rural gaps as rural coverage grew from 24.7 % to 31.9 %.

These advances are credited to the administration of President Gustavo Petro, which redirected funds from credit‑based financing to direct subsidies for public institutions, signaling a shift toward viewing university education as a universal right.