Q COSTARICA — The 2026 school year in Costa Rica will begin on Monday, February 23, and conclude on December 9, according to the official calendar of the Ministry of Public Education (MEP).
According to the MEP, before the start of classes, some 90,000 staff— including teaching, technical-teaching, administrative, and support staff—will receive two full weeks of training, from February 9 to 20.
“These training sessions will be held simultaneously throughout the country and are part of the institutional preparation before the start of the school year,” the ministry stated.
In addition to the start of classes, the calendar defines other important dates for the educational community.
Some of the changes are:
- Holy (Easter) Week will run from March 29 to April 5
- Mid-term break is scheduled from July 6 to 17
- The school year will be divided into two periods: first period from February 23 to July 3; the second period will run from July 20 to December 9
- Graduation ceremonies will be held on December 10 and 11, 2026
For information on other dates related to enrichment exams, standardized national diagnostic and summative tests, please consult the 2026 School Calendar posted on the official MEP website.
Private schools
Private school calendars vary by region and specific school, but generally follows either a traditional August-June (Northern Hemisphere) or February-December (Southern Hemisphere/Costa Rica) pattern, with key breaks for Easter, Summer, and Christmas; for instance, while Costa Rican schools typically run Feb-Dec with mid-year breaks, so you must check your specific school’s website for exact 2026 dates