The Mongolian education system consists of pre-school, general education, and tertiary levels. Mongolia is transitioning to a 12-year general education system starting in 2008, with 6 years of primary school, 3 years of lower secondary, and 3 years of upper secondary education. Basic education includes primary and lower secondary education, while the state provides free education up through upper secondary. Technical or vocational schools offer combined occupational and academic education after lower secondary. At the tertiary level, bachelor's programs take 4-5 years while medical programs take 6 years, with master's and doctorate programs 1-4 years beyond. Today there are over 240 public and private institutions of higher education in Mongolia.

1. Mongolian Education System
The Mongolian education system consists of pre-school education, general education,
and tertiary education.
Mongolia is currently transitioning to a 12-year education system. Beginning in 2008,
students start school at six years of age and will graduate at 18. The 12-year education system
consists of six years of primary education, three years of lower secondary education and three
years of upper secondary education. This transition will be complete by 2016. Basic
education includes primary and lower secondary education. Yet, provision of free education
covers basic education as well as upper secondary education. In Mongolia, schools for the
primary, lower and upper secondary levels generally exist together in a single institution.
Technical and vocational training schools, which offer combined occupational and general
upper secondary education, are also an option for students who have graduated from lower
secondary schools. A high school diploma can be obtained after completion which allows
students to enter university.
Mongolia's education system does well in terms of getting children and youth through
school. Overall 81 percent of adolescents complete lower secondary school and 55 percent
complete upper secondary school. Students whose families live in the countryside often live
in dormitories or with friends while they study at secondary school in the aimag center.
At the higher education level, bachelor programs usually last four to five years and six
years for medical programs. Masters programs usually require one to two years and doctorate
programs require three to four years to complete.
Today, about 240 public and private institutions of higher education operate in
Mongolia. Even at public universities, students now pay tuition, which is an important source
of income for universities. The state offers loans to help students. The state also provides low
cost dormitories to students. There are 86 accredited universities in Mongolia, both state and
private. Among them, there are seven major state universities: National University,
Mongolian University of Science and Technology, University of the Humanities, National
Medical University of Mongolia, University of Education, University of Agriculture, School
of Finance and Economics.