The education system is divided into 4 main areas: pre-school care and education (from the age of 6 months to 6 years), primary education (lasting 9 years), secondary education (lasting 2, 3 or 4 years), and tertiary education. Primary and secondary education is compulsory and free. Higher education is partially financed by the state, but university students also contribute. The coverage of the basic education system is relatively low, although an increase has been witnessed in recent years. Secondary and tertiary enrolment rates vary considerably across income groups and regions.
Higher education is offered by 4 public and 11 private accredited institutions. Students are required to pass an entrance examination to obtain access to higher education. In the academic year 2006/2007 63,224 students were enrolled for a total of 2,874 teaching staff.  Although the number of students who enter university education is rising, the number of graduates is still very low. In addition, most students take longer than the prescribed time to complete their degree.

The main source of funding for higher education is the government, with a small portion of revenues coming from tuition fees. There are a number of tuition fee options: for full-time students within the state quota, for full-time students outside this quota (approximately 1:1), and for part-time students. Tuition fees also vary from faculty to faculty.