WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Is beginning secondary education tuition- and fee-free?

Guaranteeing free education can eliminate a financial barrier to schooling that disproportionally impact girls, poor children, children with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

Tuitionrefers to fees charged for access to public education. Fees refers to “service fees” and mandatory “parental contributions” to schools. It does not include fees that related only to textbooks, materials, uniforms, meals, transportation, or extracurricular activities. In countries with tuition-free guarantees to public education, tuition may be charged in private schools operating in parallel.

Not tuition-free guarantee means that there is no explicit guarantee to tuition-free education at the start of secondary school in the country’s constitution, legislation, or non-legislative policy commitments.

Tuition-free, but subject to progressive realization means that the country does not commit to tuition-free education at the beginning of secondary school, but has committed to take steps to gradually implement tuition-free education at the beginning of secondary school over time.

Tuition-free, but fees permitted means that the country guarantees tuition-free education at the beginning of secondary school but allows for additional charges such as “service fees”, mandatory “parental contributions” or had a general allowance for the Minister of Education to prescribe fees.

Tuition-free, fees not specified means that the country guarantees tuition-free education at the beginning of secondary school without mention of additional fees.

Tuition-free, fees prohibited means that the country explicitly states that public schools cannot require students to pay either tuition or additional fees to attend the beginning of secondary school.

Countries

Bangladesh - Not tuition-free

Burundi - Not tuition-free

Cameroon - Not tuition-free

Comoros - Not tuition-free

Equatorial Guinea - Not tuition-free

Haiti - Not tuition-free

Jamaica - Not tuition-free

Niger - Not tuition-free

Singapore - Not tuition-free

Solomon Islands - Not tuition-free

South Africa - Not tuition-free

Eswatini - Not tuition-free

Tonga - Not tuition-free

Tuvalu - Not tuition-free

Uganda - Not tuition-free

Vanuatu - Not tuition-free

Angola - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Benin - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Guinea-Bissau - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Lesotho - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Mozambique - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Myanmar - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Vietnam - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Algeria - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Antigua and Barbuda - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Australia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Bahamas - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Barbados - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Belize - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Botswana - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Brunei - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Canada - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Chad - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Cote d'Ivoire - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Dominica - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Egypt - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

El Salvador - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Estonia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Fiji - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Grenada - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Guatemala - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Hungary - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Indonesia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Ireland - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Kenya - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Kiribati - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Republic of Korea - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Laos - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Lebanon - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Liberia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Malawi - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Malaysia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Marshall Islands - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Mauritius - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Namibia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Papua New Guinea - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Romania - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Samoa - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Seychelles - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Sierra Leone - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Sri Lanka - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

St. Kitts and Nevis - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

St. Lucia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Suriname - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Tanzania - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Thailand - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Trinidad and Tobago - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

United Kingdom - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

United States of America - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Zambia - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Afghanistan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Albania - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Andorra - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Argentina - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Armenia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Azerbaijan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Bahrain - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Belarus - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Bhutan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Bolivia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Brazil - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Burkina Faso - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Cambodia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Chile - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Costa Rica - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Croatia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Cuba - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Cyprus - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Czech Republic - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Djibouti - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Dominican Republic - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Eritrea - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Ethiopia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

France - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Gabon - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Georgia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Germany - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Ghana - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Greece - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Greenland - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Guyana - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Iran - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Iraq - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Japan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Jordan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Kazakhstan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Kuwait - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Kyrgyzstan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Lithuania - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Luxembourg - Tuition-free, fees not specified

North Macedonia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Madagascar - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Maldives - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Mali - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Mauritania - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Micronesia, Federated States of - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Moldova - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Monaco - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Mongolia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Morocco - Tuition-free, fees not specified

The Netherlands - Tuition-free, fees not specified

New Zealand - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Nigeria - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Oman - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Pakistan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Palau - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Panama - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Paraguay - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Poland - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Qatar - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Russian Federation - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Rwanda - Tuition-free, fees not specified

San Marino - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Sao Tome and Principe - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Saudi Arabia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Senegal - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Serbia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Slovakia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Somalia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

South Sudan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Sudan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Syria - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Tajikistan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Togo - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Tunisia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Türkiye - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Turkmenistan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Ukraine - Tuition-free, fees not specified

United Arab Emirates - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Uruguay - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Uzbekistan - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Venezuela - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Austria - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Belgium - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Bulgaria - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Cabo Verde - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Colombia - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Republic of the Congo - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Denmark - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Ecuador - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Finland - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Honduras - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Iceland - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

India - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Israel - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Italy - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Latvia - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Liechtenstein - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Malta - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Mexico - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Montenegro - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Nauru - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Nepal - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Nicaragua - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Norway - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Peru - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

The Philippines - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Portugal - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Slovenia - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Spain - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Sweden - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Timor-Leste - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Yemen - Tuition-free, fees prohibited