WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Is completing 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 through the completion 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 through the completion of secondary school, but has committed to take steps to gradually implement tuition-free education through the completion of secondary school over time.

Tuition-free, but fees permitted means that the country guarantees tuition-free education through the completion 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 through the completion 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 through the completion of secondary school.

Countries

Angola - Not tuition-free

Bangladesh - Not tuition-free

Bhutan - Not tuition-free

Botswana - Not tuition-free

Burkina Faso - Not tuition-free

Burundi - Not tuition-free

Cameroon - Not tuition-free

China - Not tuition-free

Comoros - Not tuition-free

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Not tuition-free

Croatia - Not tuition-free

Cyprus - Not tuition-free

Equatorial Guinea - Not tuition-free

Eritrea - Not tuition-free

Gabon - Not tuition-free

Guinea-Bissau - Not tuition-free

Haiti - Not tuition-free

India - Not tuition-free

Indonesia - Not tuition-free

Italy - Not tuition-free

Jamaica - Not tuition-free

Kiribati - Not tuition-free

Libya - Not tuition-free

Liechtenstein - Not tuition-free

Malawi - Not tuition-free

Morocco - Not tuition-free

Niger - Not tuition-free

Nigeria - Not tuition-free

Rwanda - Not tuition-free

Samoa - Not tuition-free

San Marino - Not tuition-free

Sao Tome and Principe - Not tuition-free

Senegal - Not tuition-free

Sierra Leone - Not tuition-free

Singapore - Not tuition-free

Solomon Islands - Not tuition-free

South Africa - Not tuition-free

St. Lucia - Not tuition-free

Sudan - Not tuition-free

Eswatini - Not tuition-free

Tanzania - Not tuition-free

Timor-Leste - Not tuition-free

Tonga - Not tuition-free

Tuvalu - Not tuition-free

Uganda - Not tuition-free

United Kingdom - Not tuition-free

Vanuatu - Not tuition-free

Vietnam - Not tuition-free

Zimbabwe - Not tuition-free

Benin - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Cabo Verde - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

The Gambia - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Lesotho - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Liberia - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Mozambique - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Myanmar - Tuition-free subject to progressive realization

Suriname - 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

Brunei - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Canada - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Chad - 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

Iceland - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Ireland - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Kenya - 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

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

Seychelles - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Sri Lanka - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

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

Thailand - Tuition-free, but fees permitted

Trinidad and Tobago - 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

Bolivia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Brazil - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Cambodia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Chile - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Costa Rica - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Cuba - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Czech Republic - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Denmark - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Djibouti - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Dominican Republic - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Ethiopia - Tuition-free, fees not specified

France - 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

The Netherlands - Tuition-free, fees not specified

New Zealand - Tuition-free, fees not specified

Norway - 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

Saudi Arabia - 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

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

Colombia - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Republic of the Congo - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Ecuador - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Finland - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Honduras - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

Israel - Tuition-free, fees prohibited

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

Latvia - 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

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

Yemen - Tuition-free, fees prohibited