These are the three best schools in Colombia, according to world rankings: How were they ranked?

The Nuevo Cambridge School in Floridablanca (Santander), the Diana Oese Bilingual School in Cali, and the San Jorge de Inglaterra School in Bogotá were recognized as the best educational centers in the country, according to the most recent Global Education Quality Index.

The international ranking, published by 'La FM', evaluated factors such as academic performance, pedagogical approach, values ​​education, and English language proficiency.

This institution ranked first thanks to its project-based teaching model, advanced English proficiency, and focus on critical thinking.

According to Infobae, the school has achieved a position thanks to its results in tests such as Saber 11 and its students' outstanding participation in international scientific competitions.

Second place went to this Cali-based institution, recognized for its pedagogy focused on artistic expression, values-based education, and its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) approach.

Additionally, the school has been recognized for implementing strategies to care for its students' mental health, an aspect that reinforces its position in rankings such as Col-Sapiens.

Rounding out the podium was this institution located north of the capital, which stood out for its partnerships with international schools and its evaluation system based on equity, participation, and excellence.

According to the aforementioned media, a high percentage of its graduates manage to enter prestigious international universities.

In addition to the Global Education Quality Index, Sapiens Research published the Col-Sapiens ranking, which included other outstanding educational centers in Colombia. Among them are:

The National University of Colombia is facing a historic decline in the number of applicants to its undergraduate programs. For the 2025-2026 semester, 40,054 applications were registered, the lowest number for a first semester in at least two decades.

This drop represents 14,513 fewer applicants compared to the 2024-2021 period, when 54,567 people registered.

The decline is also evident in the most recent exam, corresponding to the 2025-2 semester, which was taken by 25,167 people. This is the third-lowest figure for a second semester in 20 years , surpassed only by the figures for the 2021-2 and 2022-2 periods, which were affected by the pandemic and the social crisis.

The highest peak of applicants in a first semester was reached in 2019-1, with 75,681 students. Since then, the drop has been 47%. The largest declines are concentrated in the university's largest campuses.

Between 2024-2025, Bogotá's number of applicants increased from 38,102 to 28,319; Medellín's number increased from 8,799 to 5,208 ; Manizales' number increased from 1,947 to 1,453; and Palmira's number increased from 1,460 to 903.

*This content was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on publicly available information released to media outlets. It was also reviewed by a journalist and an editor.