In 1869, the country became one of the first in the world to make education both free and obligatory, funded by the state's share of the great coffee wealth. By 1920, fully half of the population was literate, and by 1970, 89 percent were able to read and write.
Education up to the sixth grade is obligatory, and the network of public schools is dispersed into the far corners of the land. The country is now home to a handful of well regarded universities, such as the National University and the University of Costa Rica. Fully 27 percent of the national budget is spent on education and culture, supporting four public universities, three symphonic orchestras, five autonomous state publishing houses and a growth rate in education of 10 percent yearly.
