Every year, thousands of Colombian students take the Saber 11 tests, an exam that, in addition to evaluating your skills at the end of high school, allows you to observe the differences in performance between the country’s educational institutions. The results also offer a reference to identify the schools that achieve the highest scores and how they compare to the national average.
READ ALSO
The Icfes published the results obtained by educational institutions in 2026. The global grade has a maximum of 500 points and is calculated from the students’ performance in five competencies: Mathematics, Reading, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and English. The first four have a greater weight in the calculation of the final result.
According to this year’s data, The national average for Schedule A institutions was 258 points out of a possible 500.
Although this figure may seem low, historical results show that, since the implementation of the current evaluation system, national averages have generally remained between 250 and 260 points. One of the highest results was recorded in 2016, when the average global score reached 264.
In the case of Calendar B schools, The national average was 317 points out of 500. This represents a decrease compared to 2025, the year in which the average reached 320 points.
When reviewing the results of the institutions with the highest scores, schools from cities and municipalities such as Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Yopal, Bogotá, Turbaco, Barranquilla, Armenia, San Gil, Popayán, Cali, Girón, Neiva and Piedecuesta, among others, appear.
It is important to point out that these results do not constitute an official ranking of the best schools in the country, since the Icfes does not make classifications of this type. Rather, it is a reference on the performance of institutions in the Saber 11 tests.
In calendar A, the highest score on the list was obtained by Colegio Bilingüe Divino Niño, from Bucaramanga, with 404 points. In the following places appear the Colegio Integral del Norte, in Cartagena, with 381 points, and the Colegio San Mateo Apóstol, in Yopal, with 376. With this same rating was the Colegio Cristiano Monte de Hebron, in Bogotá.
Several schools that in past years were in the top 10, such as Colegio Angloamericano, are no longer in it.
Among the calendar B institutions, first place (and second nationally) corresponds to Colegio Gimnasio Calibio, from Popayán, which obtained 396 points. They are followed by the Gimnasio Contemporáneo, from Armenia, with 382, and the Diana Oese Bilingual School, from Cali, with 378.
As in Calendar A, in Calendar B there were changes in the top 10. Gimnasio Calibio occupies first place after being third, while Colegio San Carlos and Gimnasio Alessandro Volta come out of the top ten positions, but several from Aspaen (an organization to which the University of La Sabana also belongs) enter.
Regarding official educational establishments, the Luis María Jiménez Educational Institution, located in Aguazul, Casanare, registered the highest result, with 367 points. This institution occupies eighth place among the calendar A schools included in the list.
The second highest score among public schools corresponds to the Liceo Integrado de Bachillerato Universidad de Nariño, in Pasto, with 355 points. The Kilómetro 12 Educational Institution, in Montería, appears with the same rating. For its part, the Alexander von Humboldt Institute, in Barranquilla, obtained 354 points.
The best schools in the Saber 11 tests
Calendar A
- Divino Niño Bilingual School (404, Bucaramanga)
- Colegio Integral del Norte (381, Cartagena)
- San Mateo Apóstol School (376, Yopal)
- Monte de Hebron Christian School (376, Bogotá)
- La Concepción Educational Corporation (375, Turbaco)
- Boston International School (373, Barranquilla)
- La Sagrada Familia Educational Corporation (372, Cartagena)
- Luis María Jiménez Educational Institution (367, Aguazul, Casanare – Public)
- Comfenalco School (365, Armenia)
- Santa Cruz de la Nueva Baeza School (365, San Gil)
Divino Niño Bilingual School Photo:Official website Divino Niño Bilingual School
Calendar B
- Calibio Gymnasium School (396, Popayán)
- Contemporary Gym (382, Armenia)
- Diana Oese Bilingual School (378, Cali)
- New Cambridge School (372, Girón)
- Colombo French School (368, Popayán)
- Aspaen Gimnasio La Fragua (364, Neiva)
- Aspaen Yumana (361, Neiva)
- Aspaen Gym Cartagena (360, Cartagena)
- Aspaen Gimnasio Cantillana (360, Piedecuesta)
- Gimnasio Ángeles School (360, Popayán)
Public schools: the best in Colombia in the Saber 11 tests
- Luis María Jiménez Educational Institution (367, Aguazul, Casanare)
- Integrated High School of Nariño University (355, Pasto)
- Educational Institution Kilometer 12 (355, Montería)
- Alexander von Humboldt Institute (354, Barranquilla)
- Mercedes Ábrego Educational Institution (350, Montería)
- IE Antonio Nariño (349, Montería)
- National Technical Institute of Commerce (348, Cúcuta)
- Loperena Educational Institution (348, Valledupar)
- Santo Ángel School (348, Cúcuta)
- Pablo Neruda School (343, Cúcuta)
The results of the Saber 11 tests fall nationwide
By 2026, global Saber 11 test results showed a drop in their global average. On the one hand, in Calendar A, the national average was 258 points out of a possible 500, which implies a drop compared to the year 2025, when this result was 261, and is far from the best historical score, which is 264 points in 2016.
In the case of Calendar B, there was also a drop, as the country went from an average of 320 points in 2025 to 317 in 2026.
Experts consider that the results of the Saber 11 tests demonstrate that the country’s educational quality has not yet reached optimal levels; in fact, there would be a stalemate.
This is how educational analyst Ricardo Rodríguez explains it: “It is true that the global average continues to leave much to be desired, that is a historical problem. The national scores continue to present ups and downs, but they remain stable in a range of between 250 and 264 points. We have not been able to get out of there. We must reflect as a nation on why we are not moving forward.”
