PISA 2025 Results (Volume I): Costa Rica

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assesses the knowledge, skills and attitudes of 15-year-old students. The tests explore how well students can solve complex problems, think critically and communicate effectively; data collected through questionnaires describe the context in which students learn. This gives insights into how well education systems are preparing students for real life challenges and future success. Costa Rica participated for the first time in PISA in 2010. By comparing results internationally, policy makers and educators in Costa Rica can learn from other countries’ policies and practices.

• Average 2025 results in Costa Rica were about the same as in 2022 in mathematics and reading, and up compared to 2022 in science.

• The most recent results of Costa Rica were close to those observed in science over the period between 2010 and 2018, but below those observed in mathematics and reading over the same period. However, once the expansion of secondary education to previously marginalised populations is also considered, the results look somewhat more positive. Indeed, between 2015 and 2025, the number of 15-year-olds eligible to sit the PISA test increased in Costa Rica, despite a shrinking population of 15-year-olds. This suggests that secondary school enrolment increased over this period. It also suggests that the apparent decline in PISA reading and mathematics results is linked to the integration of more 15-year-olds from marginalised populations into schooling, and that PISA results for the remaining, more-advantaged students – those whose situation did not change as a result of the educational expansion – did not decline.

• Over the most recent period (2022 to 2025), the gap between the highest-scoring students (10% with the highest scores) and the weakest students (10% with the lowest scores) did not change significantly in mathematics, reading and science.

• Compared to 2015 the proportion of low-performing students (scoring below proficiency Level 2) increased by seven percentage points in mathematics; increased by seven percentage points in reading; and did not change significantly in science.

• Students in Costa Rica scored less than the OECD average in mathematics, reading and science (Figure 3).

• A smaller proportion of students in Costa Rica than on average across OECD countries were top performers (Level 5 or 6) in at least one subject. At the same time, a smaller proportion of students than on average across OECD countries achieved a minimum level of proficiency (Level 2 or higher) in all three subjects (Figure 4).

• In computational problem solving, the mean score of students in Costa Rica was lower than the OECD average (Figure 3).

• Some 56% of students in Costa Rica attained Level 2 or higher in science (OECD average: 74%). At a minimum, these students can recognize the correct explanation for familiar scientific phenomena and can use such knowledge to identify, in simple cases, whether a conclusion is valid based on the data provided. Over 85% of students in top performers B-S-J-Z (China), Macao (China), Singapore, Estonia, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea (in descending order of that share) performed at this level or above.

• In Costa Rica, almost no students were top performers in science, meaning that they were proficient at Level 5 or 6 (OECD average: 7%). These students can creatively and autonomously apply their knowledge of and about science to a wide variety of situations, including unfamiliar ones.

• In Costa Rica, 30% of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics (OECD average: 65%). At a minimum, these students can interpret and recognize, without direct instructions, how a simple situation can be represented mathematically (e.g. comparing the total distance across two alternative routes, or converting prices into a different currency).

• Almost no students in Costa Rica were top performers in mathematics, meaning that they attained Level 5 or 6 in the PISA mathematics test (OECD average: 8%). The largest shares of students attaining Level 5 or 6 were observed in Seven Asian countries and economies: B-S-J-Z (China) (54%), Singapore (37%), Chinese Taipei (32%), Macao (China) (29%), Korea (23%), Japan (22%) and Hong Kong (China) (21%). At these levels, students can model complex situations mathematically, and can select, compare and evaluate appropriate problem-solving strategies for dealing with them. In 13 countries and economies participating in PISA 2025, more than 10% of students attained Level 5 or 6 proficiency.

• Some 53% of students in Costa Rica attained Level 2 or higher in reading (OECD average: 69%). At a minimum, these students can identify the main idea in a text of moderate length, find information based on explicit, though sometimes complex criteria, and can reflect on the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so. The share of 15-year-old students who attained minimum levels of proficiency in reading (Level 2 or higher) varied from 93% in B-S-J-Z (China) to 4% in Rwanda.

• In Costa Rica, 1% of students scored at Level 5 or higher in reading (OECD average: 6%). These students can comprehend lengthy texts, deal with concepts that are abstract or counterintuitive, and establish distinctions between fact and opinion, based on implicit cues pertaining to the content or source of the information.

• In Costa Rica, 79% of students agree or strongly agree that they are curious about many different things, compared to 73% across OECD countries. Moreover, 72% of students reported that they apply additional effort when work becomes challenging (OECD average 60%). At the same time, 14% agree or strongly agree that school has been a waste of time (OECD average: 24%).

• Between 2022 and 2025, these attitudes changed somewhat in Costa Rica. The share of students who reported being curious about many different things decreased by 3.9 percentage points; the proportion who reported applying additional effort when work becomes challenging decreased by 2.5 percentage points; and the percentage of students who agreed that school had been a waste of time increased by 3.4 percentage points during this period.

• Curiosity, perseverance and valuing school are most often associated with higher science performance.

• PISA 2025 also asked students about other attitudes towards learning. For example, 59% of students in Costa Rica have a growth mindset (OECD average: 69%), i.e. hold the belief that intelligence can be cultivated through work, effort and feedback. On average across OECD countries, students with a growth mindset score 28 score points higher in science than those with a fixed mindset.

• PISA 2025 data further describe students’ self-regulation and goal-setting behaviours. For example, in Costa Rica about 39% of students reported that they often or very often plan their approach to studying. Furthermore, 55% of students ask themselves questions about the material to check if they have understood everything (OECD averages: 37% and 49%, respectively).

• An autonomous self-regulated learner knows when and where to ask for help. PISA 2025 data show that, in most countries, students tend to rely on their teachers and classmates for support with their schoolwork. In Costa Rica, 83% of students ask their teachers for help when they need it and 84% ask their classmates when they do not fully understand something (OECD averages: 77% and 82%, respectively).

• In 2025, 55% of students in Costa Rica were in schools whose principals reported that instruction was hindered, at least to some extent, by a perceived lack of teaching staff (OECD average: 39%); the corresponding share for a perceived lack of assisting staff was 52% (OECD average: 39%). The prevalence of perceived teaching staff shortages in Costa Rica did not change significantly compared to 2022.

• PISA 2025 data reveal that perceived shortages of material resources remain a concern in most countries and economies. Some 68% of students in Costa Rica attended schools whose principals reported that a lack of educational material (e.g. textbooks, IT equipment, library or laboratory material) hindered instruction, at least to some extent, and 64% were in schools where a lack of physical infrastructure (e.g. buildings, grounds, heating/cooling systems, lighting and acoustic systems) was perceived to hinder instruction. In 2022, the corresponding shares were 68% and 68%, respectively.

• In Costa Rica, students reported spending on average 1.4 hours per day using digital devices at school for learning activities (OECD average: 1.7 hours). At the same time, a non-negligible share of students’ device use on school days is dedicated to non-learning activities: students in Costa Rica reported spending 1.3 hours per day using digital devices at school for leisure (OECD average: 1.1 hours).

• In Costa Rica, 38% of students reported that their peers are often distracted by the use of digital devices during most or all science lessons (OECD average: 28%).

• In 2025, 23% of students in Costa Rica attended schools where cell phone use is not allowed on school premises (OECD average: 49%), up from PISA 2022 (13%; OECD average in PISA 2022: 34%). This indicates a substantial increase in the implementation of cell phone bans during this period.

• Students in most education systems use AI chatbots for schoolwork, creating new challenges and opportunities for their learning. In Costa Rica, 50% of students reported using AI chatbots to help them learn at least once a week (OECD average: 46%). Students also frequently use AI to conduct preliminary research on a new topic (Costa Rica: 40%; OECD average: 31%), to summarise a text they had to read (Costa Rica: 37%; OECD average: 30%), and to draft text for writing assignments (Costa Rica: 34%; OECD average: 29%).Only 10% of students reported never or almost never using AI chatbots for any of the schoolwork tasks examined in PISA (OECD average: 14%).

• In Costa Rica, 23% of students reported being victims of at least one form of bullying a few times per month or more in 2025 (OECD average: 20%). The prevalence of bullying increased between PISA 2022 and PISA 2025, as it did in a large majority of participating countries and economies. This rise contrasts with the decline in bullying recorded in Costa Rica between 2018 and 2022, which was likely linked to the lingering effects of COVID-19 disruptions.

• Cyberbullying is relatively uncommon compared with other forms of bullying. In Costa Rica, 4% of students reported that upsetting information about them was published online, without their consent, at least a few times a month during the 12 months prior to the PISA test (OECD average: 3%).

• In Costa Rica, 86% of students reported that, in most science lessons, the teacher shows an interest in every student’s learning (OECD average: 69%), 79% that the teacher continues teaching until the students understand (OECD average: 66%), 82% that the teacher gives extra help when students need it (OECD average: 73%). In 2015, the corresponding shares were 88%, 81% and 81%.

• Disciplinary climate in science lessons in 2025 remains a concern in many countries and economies: about 16% of students in Costa Rica reported that they cannot work well in most or all lessons (OECD average: 19%); 32% reported noise and disorder disrupted most or every science lesson (OECD average: 31%); 22% of students reported that their classmates do not listen to what the teacher says (OECD average: 29%).

• Disciplinary climate and teacher support in science lessons improved between 2015 and 2025 on average across OECD countries. In Costa Rica, only teacher support improved; disciplinary climate did not change significantly over the period. Countries and economies with an improved disciplinary climate tend to show stability or an increase in their average science performance compared to 2015.

• In 2025, around 54% of students in Costa Rica reported having skipped at least one day of school in the two weeks prior to the test (OECD average: 22%); 46% reported skipping at least one class (OECD average: 24%); 50% reported arriving late for school (OECD average: 50%). In previous years, the corresponding shares were 16%, 23% and 50% (in 2022); 39%, 40% and 51% (in 2018).

• In Costa Rica, 58% of students reached at least baseline proficiency (Level 2) in environmental science. On average across OECD countries, 74% of students achieve this level, with more than 85% reaching it in seven countries and economies.

• PISA 2025 shows that students in most education systems report strong pro-environmental attitudes, although fewer feel confident about how to collaborate effectively. In Costa Rica, 84% of students believe that they can positively impact the environment (OECD average: 81%); 87% believe that collective action can address environmental problems (OECD average: 82%); 75% report knowing how to work with others to positively impact the environment (OECD average: 68%).

• In Costa Rica, 85% of students reported that they are somewhat or very interested in contributing to protecting the environment in their future jobs (OECD average: 62%).

• Most students engaged in environment-related activities at least once over the 12 months prior to the PISA test. On average across OECD countries, the most common forms of engagement are discussing with friends and family how to have a positive impact on the environment (Costa Rica: 59%; OECD average: 56%) and making purchasing decisions based on the sustainability of products (OECD average: 54%; 54% in Costa Rica).

• The PISA 2025 survey focused on science, with mathematics and reading as minor areas; an assessment of learning in the digital world measured students’ computational problem-solving skills and their ability to self-direct their learning in a digital environment. Results for science, mathematics, reading and computational problem solving are released on 8 September 2026 and analyses of students’ self-directed learning in 2027.

• Over 760 000 students took the assessment in 2025, representing about 33 million 15-year-olds in the schools of the 91 participating countries and economies.

• In Costa Rica, 6 881 students, in 202 schools, completed the assessment, representing about 54 300 15-year-old students (an estimated 73% of the total population of 15-year-olds).

• PISA students are aged between 15 years 3 months and 16 years 2 months at the time of the assessment, and they have completed at least 6 years of formal schooling. In this note, they are referred to as 15-year-old students.

• Students took a two hour test, and each student was tested in two subjects. Different students were given different test questions and different combinations of subjects (e.g. science followed by reading, or mathematics followed by science, etc.). Test items were a mixture of multiple-choice questions and questions requiring students to construct their own responses.

• Students also answered a background questionnaire, which took about 35 minutes to complete. The questionnaire sought information about the students themselves, their attitudes, dispositions and beliefs, their homes, and their school and learning experiences. School principals completed a questionnaire about school management, organisation, and the learning environment.

• Some countries/economies also distributed additional questionnaires, to students, parents and/or teachers, to elicit more information. The findings from these optional questionnaires are not covered by this note.