Mexican Education Systems 101

Someone finally explained to me exactly which educational levels in the US correspond to their Mexican counterparts. I don't know why it took a trip to Mexico and an ex-pat of 35 years from San Francisco for me to finally understand it, but here it is:

US:
Primary (grades K-5)
Middle School (grades 6-8)
High School (grades 9-12)
Bachelors (4 years)
Masters (1-2 years)
Doctorate/PhD. (???)

Mexico:
"primaria" (years 1-6)
"secundaria" (years 7-9)
"prepatoria" (years 10-12)
"licenciatura" (4-5 years)
"maestria" (2-3 years)
"posgrado" (???)

The crux of the confusion lies in the word “secundaria”. Because of the structural similarities between middle and high schools in the US, educators group the two together to form the “secondary level”, or grades 6-12.

I wouldn’t be surprised if I was the only one confused about this subject, but it makes me wonder if parent education surveys are clear about education level equivalencies, specifically high school graduation and “prepa”, as they call it, and middle school and “secundaria”.

In the US, attendance is mandatory to age 16, and expected through the completion of high school. Many employers want at bare minimum a high school diploma, but more and more employers require at least a BA or BS. In Mexico, the expectation is for students to complete “secundaria” in order to function and participate in society. “Prepatoria” is more for those students who intend to continue on to the university. Most stores in the cities ask for at least "secundaria", but increasingly "prepatoria" as well.


Very few adult Mexican immigrant in the US completed “secundaria”. Many have completed at least “primaria”, but a large percentage have only attended 3 or 4 years of “primaria”, and their attendance lacked consistency because of the need to work in the fields or taking care of cattle, for example. Even folks who have a "licenciatura" or "maestria" can't find work in their field, so they find jobs doing whatever despite their overqualifications.

This, of course, leads to a much larger conversation about economic development, international trade, and immigration. That, my friends, is a can of worms I will not open at this time.