A poor student in Costa Rica has less than a one in ten chance of making it to university- an opportunity gap far greater than in most OECD countries. But key drivers of improvement in the most rapidly improving education systems - a concerted push to expand early years’ education, high professional expectations for teachers, leadership for improvement by schools, and strong information and evaluation systems that can guide reform - have not yet gained the needed impetus in Costa Rica. Its role in levelling the playing field for children from the most disadvantaged families is particularly critical.