colegio

Colegio is a term used in many Spanish-speaking countries to denote an educational institution that provides formal schooling to children and adolescents. The word derives from the Latin collegium, meaning a body of colleagues or an association, and has come to designate a school or school complex.

In Spain, colegio typically refers to institutions offering primary education and often lower secondary education, whether public or private, while different terms such as escuela or instituto may be used for other levels. In Latin America, colegio is commonly the term for a combined primary and secondary school, with private colegios frequently linked to religious groups or international curricula; public colegios exist as well.

Colegios may be public, private, or run by religious organizations, and they can be coeducational or single-sex. They are usually organized into grade levels or cycles corresponding to primaria (elementary) and secundaria (middle or high school). They operate under a national or regional curriculum and assessment framework and grant certificates or diplomas on completion.

Beyond schools, the term colegio is also used for professional bodies in several countries, such as a colegio profesional (professional association or licensing body) for lawyers, architects, or doctors. In Portuguese-speaking regions, similar terms colégio or colégio may refer to private primary or secondary schools, distinct from universities or faculties.