Age
Level of education (Persian)
Duration
US degree equivalent
Remarks
| 5-6 |
Pre-primary/Kindergarten |
1 year (K-12) |
|
Optional. 50% of children at that age are enrolled in pre-primary education. |
| 6-13 |
Elementary education/Dabestan |
6 years (K-12) |
|
Although elementary education is free and compulsory, full enrollment in elementary education has not yet been achieved (2004). |
| 12-16 |
Lower-secondary/ First 3 Years of Dabirestan |
3 years (K-12) |
Middle school |
Mandatory (6-9th grade). (Free) The aim of this level of education is to figure out the capabilities and skills of a child so that the education system could guide her or him to the most appropriate track after the end of compulsory education. |
| 15-18 (or older) |
Upper-secondary/Second 3 Years Dabirestan |
3 years (K-12) |
High school diploma(Diplom-Motevaseth) |
In Iran, upper-secondary education is NOT compulsory. By 2010, 80% of children aged between 14 and 17 were enrolled. Approximately 6% of upper secondary institutions are private. These schools must conform to the regulations of the Ministry of Education, though they are financed primarily through tuition fees received from students. There are three school types: the theoretical branch, the technical-vocational/professional branch, and the manual skills branch (Kar-Danesh). The latter two prepare students to directly enter the job market in the trading, agricultural, industrial professions. The Kar-Danesh track develops semi-skilled and skilled workers, foremen, and supervisors. Besides, each path has its own specialties (e.g. 'math/physics'; 'experimental sciences' or 'literature/humanities' in the case of the theoretical path). Students with High school Diploma Certificate earn the right to take the Konkur, i.e. the competitive National Entrance Examination. In 2009: ~11% were admitted (1,278,433 entrants), 60% of which were female. Students passing the Konkur obtain the degree equivalent of a GCE A-levels and/or International Baccalaureate. |
| 18-20 (or older) |
Technical/Vocational School |
2 years |
Associate Degree(Fogh-e-Diplom or Kārdāni) |
Students are able to study two more years in tertiary education, which provides them with the skills to become a highly skilled technician and receive an "integrated associate degree" |
| 18-22 (or older) |
University (undergraduate) |
4 years |
Bachelor degree(Kārshenāsi or Licence) |
Academic year: September through June. Students attend classes Saturday through Thursday. Academic term divided in 2 'semesters' and 'course credits'. Universities receive their budget money from the state, and students normally do not pay for tuition and boarding at these institutions (except for Islamic Azad University). |
| 22-24 (or older) |
University (graduate) |
2 years |
Master degree(Kārshenāsi-ye Arshad or Fogh Licence) |
Iran hosts some of the most prestigious universities in the Middle East such as Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran University, Sharif University, and Iran University of Science and Technology (all three rank among the top 1,000 universities of the world according to SCImago international rankings). Shiraz University, Isfahan University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran) are other prominent higher education institutes in the country. See also: List of Universities in Iran |
| 24-27/8 (or older) |
Doctoral program |
3-4 years |
PhD.(Karshenasi-arshad-napayvasteh or Doctora) |
Students are admitted following an entrance exam. See also: Higher education in Iran. In 2012, Iran had 120,000 PhD students. In 2013, only ~60,000 PhD students according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
