Compulsory basic education
Basic education in Algeria includes nine years of primary and middle schooling. In the 2019/2020 school year, around 4.7 million pupils attended primary school in Algeria, the highest number of enrollees among all educational levels. Boys registered a higher elementary school attendance than girls in recent years. In 2019/2020, around 2.4 million pupils were boys, while girls amounted to roughly 2.3 million. Although middle education is mandatory, the enrollment rate is lower than in primary schools. In 2020, around 3.1 million students were enrolled in middle schools.Lower enrollment in high school
In Algeria, secondary education corresponds to high school and lasts three years. In the last two academic years, students can specialize in different fields, such as humanities, sciences, and technology. The number of students enrolled in secondary institutions amounted to around 1.3 million in the 2019/2020 school year, a lower number compared to the previous education cycles. Upon successful completion of high school, students in Algeria can access tertiary education, including universities.More women than men in universities
Around 1.5 million students attended higher education in Algeria in 2020. Women represented the majority of the students, accounting for approximately a third of the enrollees. Indeed, the gross enrollment rate in tertiary education was higher among women than men, while the average stood at 52.5 percent in 2020. Business administration, law, arts, and humanities are among the most popular fields of study for Algerian university students. In contrast, degrees in agriculture, forestry, and veterinary subjects account for the lowest share of graduates. After graduation, entering the labor market is often challenging. Among all educational levels, people holding a higher education degree face the highest unemployment rate in the country.
