A guide to the Mexican education system — from primaria through universidad — and how your Mexican credentials compare to US standards for immigration, university admissions, and employment.
Need your Mexican credentials evaluated? Fast, USCIS-accepted reports from $85.
Apply Now →Mexico's education system is governed primarily by the federal Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP — Secretariat of Public Education). The system spans early childhood education (preescolar), primary school (primaria), lower secondary (secundaria), upper secondary (preparatoria or bachillerato), and higher education (educación superior). Basic education through upper secondary is now compulsory under Mexican law. Spanish is the primary medium of instruction throughout all levels.
Mexico shares a long border with the United States and has one of the largest immigrant populations in the US, making Mexican credential evaluation among the most common requests Evaluation World processes. Mexican university degrees and high school diplomas are regularly evaluated for US university admissions, employment authorization, and immigration petitions.
Mandatory under Mexican law. Three years of early childhood education covering foundational social, cognitive, and language development. No formal national examination at this stage.
Compulsory. Covers Spanish, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Studies, Civic and Ethical Education, Physical Education, and the Arts. Students receive the Certificado de Educación Primaria upon completion. No national board examination; assessment is school-based.
Compulsory. Equivalent to US Grades 7–9. Students study Spanish, Mathematics, History, Geography, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Civic Education, and a Foreign Language (usually English). Upon completion, students receive the Certificado de Educación Secundaria from SEP — the document most commonly submitted when evaluating Mexican secondary education. This certificate is a prerequisite for upper secondary enrollment.
Now compulsory. Equivalent to US Grades 10–12. Mexico offers several bachillerato tracks: the Bachillerato General (academic, university-preparatory), the Bachillerato Tecnológico (combines academic and technical training), and CONALEP (primarily vocational). Many upper secondary schools are affiliated with public universities (such as UNAM's Escuela Nacional Preparatoria or the Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades). Upon completion, students receive the Certificado de Bachillerato or Certificado de Terminación de Estudios — Bachillerato General, which is the primary qualification for university admission.
Bachelor's degrees (Licenciatura) typically take 4–5 years. Mexico is home to some of Latin America's most prestigious universities including UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) and IPN (National Polytechnic Institute). Master's degrees (Maestría) are 2 years and Doctoral degrees (Doctorado) are 3–5 years. University admission requires the Bachillerato certificate and, at competitive institutions, an entrance examination such as UNAM's Examen de Admisión or the CENEVAL EXANI-II.
The most commonly evaluated Mexican documents include:
If you hold a Mexican degree or diploma and plan to study, work, or immigrate to the United States, a formal credential evaluation is required to establish the US equivalency of your education.
Employment-based visa categories including H-1B, EB-1A, EB2-NIW, O-1, and L-1 require a credential evaluation verifying your Mexican education meets US standards. A document evaluation provides the equivalency statement needed for your petition.
US universities and graduate programs require a credential evaluation converting your Mexican academic records into US credit hours and a GPA on the 4.0 scale.
US employers and state licensing boards may require a credential evaluation, particularly for engineers, architects, accountants, and healthcare professionals trained in Mexico.
All Mexican academic documents must be accompanied by certified English translations. Evaluation World offers Spanish-to-English translation services that can be combined with your evaluation order.