SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

Mexico is a very good place for getting a higher education. As there are several hundreds of universities and colleges across the country. Higher education usually follows the US education model with an at least 4-year Bachelor's degree undergraduate level (Licenciatura), and two degrees at the postgraduate level, a 2-year Master's degree (Maestría), and a 3-year Doctoral degree (Doctorado). This structure of education very closely conforms to the Bologna Process started in Europe in 1999, allowing Mexican students to study abroad and pursue a Master's degree after Licenciatura, or a Doctoral degree after Maestría.

But before one can taste the colourful college life in Mexico they must get through some steps. Except for the primary and secondary education Mexican children have to undergo the so called "upper secondary education” or in Spanish EDUCACIÓN MÉDIA SUPERIOR. It  runs from grade 10 to grade 12.

Students follow one of the two tracks:

I. Academic University-Preparatory (Bachillerato General) programs lead to the award of the bachillerato / preparatorio and a certifocado de etsudios (transcript) attesting to completion of the program. After completion of academic university-preparatory programs as well as technical programs incorporating university preparatory studies, the transcript will somewhere state that the student has finished the study of the "bachillerato" or the "preparatoria”.

Higher secondary university preparatory programs traditionally have prepared students by discipline — streaming in such areas as pre-engineering, pre-medicine, or the humanities among others. More recently, however, the trend has been towards a more general academic curriculum during the first two years, followed by specialization in the third year. A foreign language, typically English, is compulsory.

Graduates (bachilleres) from upper secondary programs attached to universities and other higher education institutions have traditionally been granted automatic admission (pase automático) to their institution’s programs, whereas students applying from elsewhere must sit admissions examinations.

II. Professional Technical Education (educación profesional técnica) leads to the title título de técnico profesional (title of professional technician).This sector of upper-secondary study was formerly classified as terminal vocational study, but in 1997 the SEP* designated it as "preparatory.” Holders of the título de técnico profesional are now officially eligible for admission to licenciado degree programs. Students take general education classes (mathematics, English, sciences, etc) in addition to professional classes in their field of specialization.

And then goes the precious  higher education.

Like that of many of its neighbors, Mexico’s system of higher education has seen dramatic growth over the last 30 years. In the period 1971 to 2000, total enrollment increased more than six-fold from 290,000 to 1,962,000, rising to just shy of 3.5 million in the current academic year. This growth has come in response to demand for access to tertiary studies, as the size of the middle class has increased with the country’s rapid economic development.

Much of the growth has come in the private sector, which now enrolls just over one million students, up dramatically from 400,000 in 2006. Demand for private university places is particularly strong among students from poorer backgrounds, as fees tend to be quite low.

ADMISSION TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Completion of an academic or technical upper-secondary program (bachillerato or profesional técnico) is ordinarily required for admission to tertiary level institutions. Certain university departments require that incoming students complete higher-secondary programs in a track relevant to their prospective major field of study.

Selection procedures to different institutions vary greatly depending on demand. Typically, entrance examinations and bachillerato grade point averages are used to filter students.

Mexico, until recently, had no national standardized examination to indicate the academic performance of upper secondary graduates. Since 1994, higher secondary exit examinations designed by CENEVAL* have been used increasingly for the admissions process to higher education.

TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS

According to government data, there were more than 2,500 institutions of higher education in Mexico in 2012. Institution types include the following:

Subsistema de Universidades Públicas (Public University Subsystem): includes 61 federal and state universities, many of which have been awarded the status of "autonomous.” These institutions have a large degree of autonomy over management, budgeting, and curricular content. They may also incorporate, and therefore bestow official validity on programs offered at private institutions. Universities with this status have the word Autónoma in their name. The largest such university, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico[UNAM] enrolls over 200,000 students.

Subsistema de Educación Tecnológica (Technological Education Subsystem): Research-based science and technology institutions comprising 39 polytechnic universities and 218 technological institutes offering university degrees in engineering and applied sciences. These institutions tend to be very specialized, offering programs in just a few fields of study.

Subsistema de Universidades Tecnológicas (Technological University Subsystem): 61 institutions administered by state authorities but authorized by guidelines established by the SEP that offer two-year técnico degree programs incorporating on-the-job training in applied disciplines.

Subsistema de Educación Normal (Teacher Training Subsystem): offering licenciado degree programs for all types and levels of teacher training.

Subsistema de Otras Instituciones Públicas (Other Public Institutions Subsystem): 116 "other” specialized institutions of higher education including the Instituto de Antropología e Historia, schools belonging to the umbrella institution of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and institutions of the armed forces.

Subsistema de Instituciones Particulares (Private Institution Subsystem): Nearly 2,000 private higher education institutions whose programs of study are supervised by either federal or state ministries, or by public autonomous universities. Private institutions of higher education offer all types of degrees in all disciplines. Programs with official validity at private institutions of higher education are incorporated under a public autonomous university or are recognized by the SEP (or other ministry). Degrees from incorporated programs are issued by the incorporating autonomous university; however, transcripts may be issued by the private institution.

Institutions of higher education may also be categorized according to their official institutional and program recognition. According to this schema, there are six types of institutions: public autonomous universities, public state institutions, institutions dependent on the federal government, private independent (libre) institutions, private institutions with official validity, and institutions without official validity.

SEP* - the Secretaría de Educación Pública/SEP (Secretariat of Public Education)

CENEVAL* - CENEVAL/Centro Nacional de Evaluación (National Center for Evaluation)