The education system in Iceland is recognized as one of the best in the world. It ensures a very high level of education and universal literacy among Icelanders.
The system gives equal opportunity to all citizens, and everyone is legally entitle to have free compulsory, primary and higher education.
The system is divided into
- pre-school (1 to 6 years) – education and support is provided so as to encourage all-round development.
- compulsory schools (6 to 16 years) – main purpose is to ensure high literacy and education levels and to prepare students for exposure to broader spectrum of knowledge.
- upper-secondary schools (16 to 20 years) – different courses used as preparatory stages for higher education
- higher education(20 to 23 years) – courses in various disciplines with very high standards of education
There are ten educational institutions in Iceland which provide University-level education, the most notable among them being the University of Iceland.
The education system has been successful in maintaining high standards of general education in the country.