The freshmen students They arrive at public and private universities with the hope of pursuing the degree of their dreams, but as soon as classes begin they encounter a reality that generates frustration: they carry learning deficiencies in logical-mathematical reasoning, reading comprehension and literacy.
Added to this are gaps in areas such as English, Chemistry, Physics and Biologyas well as problems in the life skills development. By submitting to diagnostic tests in educational centersmost get poor results.
Rosa Monge Monge, director of the Unit of Rectors of the Private Universities of Costa Rica (Unire), assured that as stated in the State of Education Report, first-year university students face difficulties in learning, “a product of the crises in the educational system in recent years.”
Although they handle technology, they have gaps in basic knowledge
According to Monge, the general perception of private universities is that The educational gap did not disappear, but rather it stopped. Although the students have better management of technological toolsthey drag gaps in basic knowledge high school.
They perceive, for example, little ability to face the rigor of the university and soft skills. They also show problems with stress management, assertive communication, data analysis and teamwork, explained the representative of Unire, which brings together 23 of the 54 private universities in the country.
These 23 educational houses add up to the 80% of tuition in private higher education.
The findings from the five state universities are similar. For Mildred Acuña Sossa, vice-rector of Teaching at the State Distance University (UNED), there is no significant improvement in the preparation of first-time students in 2026, compared to previous years.
To the voids in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology Limitations in communicative skills are added, especially in written expression and oral communication.
The National University (A) noted that new students present opportunities to improve knowledge and skills, including Basic algebra and logical reasoningwhich coincides with what was stated by the State of Education and the results of the PISA tests (Programme for International Student Assessment), in which Costa Rica comes out with low results.
In July 2025, the report Reading Comprehension Skills of First-Entry Students at UNA brought to light that only 14% of General Studies studentsfrom the headquarters, entered with a satisfactory level in 2024.
Likewise, in August 2025, the X State of Education Report revealed that there were ninth grade students with the reading comprehension and mathematical reasoning of third graders. The data comes from the results of the 2022 PISA tests.
Ricardo Coy Herrera, vice-rector of Teaching at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (TEC), argued that Institutional indicators reflect that the educational crisis has deepened. The diagnoses find greater gaps in students from public schools.
“According to data from 2025, courses in Mathematics, experimental sciences, written communication, English and introductory engineering courses are those with the highest repetition rates“said the vice-rector.
Only 15 passed the Chemistry diagnostic test
Reports from the different schools of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) also show that deficiencies persist.
The UCR Chemistry school not only found knowledge gaps in its new students, but also in the time organization, study techniques and stress management.
“In Chemistry, a basic diagnostic exam (school level) was carried out for the students who attended the remedial course. Of the 181 who did so, The average grade was 38.8 out of 100 and only 15 people surpassed the grade of 70%”, detailed the UCR.
The School of Physics also observes weaknesses in algebra, symbolic management and trigonometry, while its teachers report problems with frustration tolerance, communication of doubts and concerns.
The UCR Teacher Training School added: “Students tend to repeat information without reaching optimal levels of critical reflection or synthesis. Added to this are weaknesses in the use of a second language (English) and in ethical digital literacy, therefore, Although they have great skill in the use of social networks, they need to strengthen their skills for the academic use of technologies.”.
A study by the Education Research Institute (INIE) of the UCR, in which first-year students from 2025 participated, brought to light that eight out of every ten new students at the UCR They do not have the reading skills that would be expected at that level.
For its part, the School of Biology pointed out that students have difficulties in understanding scientific texts, as well as problems writing ideas clearly, arguing and structuring reports.
This school detected that Young people memorize more than they understand, and their oral expression is limited.
In the case of the National Technical University (UTN), “a significant proportion of students with structural lags in fundamental competencies” were identified.
The Nation sent inquiries to the Minister of Education, Leonardo Sánchez, to find out his perception of the state in which new students arrive at universities, but at the time of writing this note no response was obtained.
The country spent three years without a clear path to improve education. It was not until June 2025 that a work plan from the current minister was known in which priority is given to the recovery and strengthening of learning such as reading, writing and mathematics.
Her predecessor, the elected representative Anna Katharina Müller Castro, never presented the Education Route document, which she announced at the beginning of her administration.
