| COP | Colombian Pesos |
| DANE | Departamento Nacional Administrativo de Estadística – National Administrative Department of Statistics |
| DNP | Departamento Nacional de Planeación – National Planning Department |
| ECEC | Early Childhood Education and Care |
| ECV | Encuesta Nacional de Calidad de Vida – National Quality of Life Survey |
| FARC‑EP | Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia |
| FECODE | Federación Colombiana de Trabajadores de Educación – Colombian Federation of Education Workers |
| FFIE | Fondo de la Infraestructura Educativa – Educational Infrastructure Fund |
| GDP | Gross Domestic Product |
| GEIH | Gran Encuesta Integrada de Hogares – Integrated Household Survey |
| ICBF | Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar – Colombian Institute of Family Welfare |
| ICFES | Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación Educativa – Colombian Institute for Educational Evaluation |
| ICT | Information and Communications Technology |
| ISCE | Índice Sintético de Calidad Educativa – Synthetic Education Quality Index |
| ISCED | International Standard Classification of Education |
| MEN | Ministerio de Educación Nacional – Ministry of National Education |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
| PAE | Programa de Alimentación Escolar – School Meal Programme |
| PEI | Proyecto Educativo Institucional – School Educational Project |
| PER | Programa de Educación Rural – Rural Education Programme |
| PISA | OECD Programme for International Student Assessment |
| PND | Plan Nacional de Desarrollo – National Development Plan |
| PTA | Programa Todos a Aprender – Let’s All Learn Programme |
| SEIP | Sistema Educativo Indígena Propio – Individual Indigenous Educational System |
| SENA | Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje – National Learning Service |
| SGP | Sistema General de Participaciones – General System of Transfers |
| SGR | Sistema General de Regalías – General System of Royalties |
| SIMAT | Sistema Integrado de Matrícula – Integrated Enrolment System |
| TALIS | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey |
| TERCE | Tercer Estudio Regional Comparativo y Explicativo – Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |