Guatemala’s diversificado graduates increase to 172,000
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This year, 172,706 students in Guatemala will graduate from diversificado, the country’s upper secondary education program.
The number of graduates represents a 12.6% increase from 2025, according to the Ministry of Education (Mineduc). Over the last three years, a total of 472,397 students have completed their secondary education. Most students, seven out of ten, attend private schools, while two go to public schools and the remainder attend municipal or cooperative institutions.
This distribution reflects a limited capacity within the public education system, as eight out of ten diversificado schools are private. While more students are graduating, a relatively small proportion continue their education beyond primary school. Only half of primary school graduates finish basic education, and just a quarter of those students reach diversificado. Of this year’s graduates, 125,437 to 72% of the total, will receive a bachillerato, a qualification that allows them to enter university or the workforce more quickly.
Another 34,254 will graduate as peritos, completing a three-year technical program, and 7,963 will earn degrees in Magisterio Inicial y Preprimario, preparing them to become early childhood educators. Starting in 2027, the country will again offer a four-year teacher training program at normal schools, after it was replaced by a bachillerato program in 2012. Despite rising graduation rates, students continue to underperform in math and reading, hindering their opportunities in both employment and higher education.
