Education

Snapshot

Achievement gaps between Ethiopian-Israelis and the general Jewish population are narrowing slowly but consistently over time — both in matriculation exam-taking rates and in continuation to academic studies — though a meaningful gap likely still exists in eligibility for a matriculation certificate that meets university entrance thresholds (no current figure for this specific gap was found — see the methodology note below).

An interesting reversal: an edge at academic colleges

Contrary to what one might expect, Ethiopian-Israelis show a higher relative rate of continuation to academic colleges (57.7%) compared to the general public (39.1%) — a trend likely linked to the availability and accessibility of regional colleges in cities where the community is concentrated.

Historical context (trend only — not a current figure)

In 2017, the matriculation-eligibility rate stood at about 62% among Ethiopian-Israelis versus 79% across all Hebrew-medium education (CBS, 2018 Sigd data digest, as cited by Ynet). This figure is outdated and should not be used as a current number — it's included here only as a reference point illustrating the improvement trend over time, not as a 2024/25 measure.

Methodology note

No current figure (2023-2025) was found for the rate of matriculation eligibility that specifically meets university entrance thresholds (as distinct from the "exam-taking rate" shown above) — CBS's recent Sigd publications emphasize exam-taking and continuation to academic colleges, but have not clearly published the entrance-threshold eligibility rate for the current year. We do not present an estimated number here.