University Entrance Exam Results Echo Educational Inequality in Iran

The announcement of the Konkur exam rankings for 2024 has reignited debates about deep inequalities within Iran’s education system.

The announcement of top national university entrance exam (Konkur) rankings for 2024 has reignited debates about deep inequalities within Iran’s education system. The list of single-digit ranked students revealed once again the marginal role of public schools in producing top performers, drawing attention to the stark gap in educational quality.

Statistics show that only 7 percent—just 2 out of the top 30 ranked students—came from public schools. In contrast, the overwhelming majority of top students were educated in selective magnet schools (such as SAMPAD) and especially in private schools. In fact, 73 percent of the top students across the three main exam groups were from private institutions. Perhaps most strikingly, despite Tehran accounting for 27.5 percent of top scorers overall, not a single one of them came from a public school in the capital. This underlines the severe inequalities between schools in Iran, which are most visible in Tehran.

The case of Khorasan Razavi province is telling. With 1.3 million students—around 8 percent of the national student body—it produced seven top scorers, or 17.5 percent of the total, six from Mashhad and one from Neyshabur. Meanwhile, neighboring North and South Khorasan provinces, despite cultural and demographic similarities, had no representatives among the top students.

The comparison with previous years suggests a long-term decline in the standing of public school students. Last year, public schools accounted for 8 percent of top scorers, slightly higher than this year’s 7 percent, confirming a downward trajectory that shows little sign of reversal.

This inequality exists despite the fact that, according to the Ministry of Education, more than 16.5 million students are enrolled in roughly 100,000 public schools across the country. Many experts consider this number of schools inadequate given the size of the student population, stressing that the system requires significant investment in infrastructure and quality improvement. By contrast, the total number of students enrolled in private schools is estimated to be less than 3 million, or just 15% of the overall student population.

Further evidence of systemic weakness is visible in final exam results, a key indicator of student performance. Average national scores have been alarmingly low. Recently, the head of the National Assessment Center reported that the average GPA for science students was just 12 (out of 20), 11.82 in mathematics and physics, and only 9.13 in humanities—figures that reveal an alarming decline in learning outcomes.

The issue goes beyond university admissions. Despite government slogans about “educational justice” and “universal coverage,” dropout rates are rising sharply. According to the latest data from Iran’s Statistical Center, over 929,000 students dropped out of school in the past academic year alone. With low rates of reintegration for these children, the number of permanently out-of-school youth continues to grow.

Meanwhile, government policies have raised additional concerns. The controversial “Asset Monetization” plan launched in late 2022 created fears of further reductions in the number of public schools, as state properties—including schools—became vulnerable to sell-offs. In large cities like Tehran, this has coincided with the rapid expansion of private schools, often at the expense of already underfunded public ones.

In theory, Iran’s education system should work to reduce social inequality. In practice, however, there are many signs that it has exacerbated it. The results of the 2024 university entrance exam serve as yet another stark reminder that public education is failing millions of students, while private institutions continue to expand their dominance, deepening the divide between privilege and disadvantage.