Learning in Other Cultures
Search Your School

Home | Learning in Other Cultures | Education in Iran

Education in Iran

By Randall Shirley

Iran - Merging the Sacred and the Secular

As we learn from the nightly TV news, education in Islamic countries has special challenges. Boys are generally favored, and many religious leaders (some of whom are also political leaders) believe that education should be totally about religion.

Iran breaks that mold. The country is an Islamic Republic, and the government has changed the country's educational goals many times. Today, Iranian youth have options for training in vocations, such as business or agriculture - helping them prepare for better jobs. And Iranian women are finding a better chance for education than in many other countries: approximately 45% of Iranian students are female!1 The literacy rate is around 79%.

Iran has a lot of universities, both public and private. It is competitive to gain admission, and an estimated one million students attend. It's estimated that some 23,000 students study theology.2

What do you think about your education?

Are you interested in religion and public policy?
Click here for programs that you may enjoy: public policy degree programs; political science degree programs; and degrees in religious studies.