Education in Iran is centralized and divided into K-12 education plus higher education. K-12 education is supervised by the Ministry of Education and higher education is under supervision of Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Health and Medical Education (Iran). As of September 2015, 93% of the Iranian adult population are literate In 2008, 85% of the Iranian adult population were literate, well ahead of the regional average of 62%. This rate increases to 97% among young adults (aged between 15 and 24) without any gender discrepancy. By 2007, Iran had a student to workforce population ratio of 10.2%, standing among the countries with highest ratio in the world.
Primary school (Dabestân دبستان) starts at the age of 6 for a duration of 6 years. Middle school, also known as First 3 years of Dabirestân (Dabirestân دروه اول دبیرستان), goes from the seventh to the ninth grade. High school (Dabirestân دوره دوم دبیرستان), for which the last three years is not mandatory, is divided between theoretical, vocational/technical and manual, each program with its own specialties. The requirement to enter into higher education is to have a High school diploma, and finally pass the national university entrance examination, Iranian University Entrance Exam (Konkur کنکور), which is the equivalent of the French baccalauréat exam.
Universities, institutes of technology, medical schools and community colleges, provide the higher education. Higher education is sanctioned by different levels of diplomas: Fogh-e-Diplom or Kārdāni after 2 years of higher education, Kārshenāsi (also known under the name "licence") is delivered after 4 years of higher education (Bachelor's degree). Kārshenāsi-ye Arshad is delivered after 2 more years of study (Master's degree). After which, another exam allows the candidate to pursue a doctoral program (PhD).