	Educational Attainment in Latin America

		Recent Developments

As a whole, Latin American countries have made significant progress in improving their education systems, particularly in the last two decades. These gaps in access to quality education are most pervasive in countries with high levels of income inequality. U.S. Education Programs in Latin America

The United States has long been a major supporter of education programs in Latin America. Education assistance programs are generally administered by USAID, whereas most educational exchange and scholarship programs are run by the State Department's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA). U.S. Agency for International Development

USAID's Bureau of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) implements regional and bilateral education assistance programs in Latin America.
The United States has long supported education programs in Latin America, and has a vested interest in promoting educational progress in the region. In the last 20 years, most Latin American countries have taken significant steps to improve their education systems, but major challenges remain. Those challenges include unequal access to education, high dropout and repetition rates, poor teacher quality, and uneven assessments and accountability systems. Regional and bilateral education assistance programs administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have sought to help countries address many of those challenges. At the same time, the State Department's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has supported educational exchange and scholarship programs for Latin American students and teachers. This report provides an overview of the current level of educational attainment in Latin America, U.S. education programs in the region, and related legislative proposals. It will not be updated.