Education Ministry: Matriculation Exam Gaps Narrow Significantly in a Decade
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
The Israeli Ministry of Education reported that the gap in matriculation exam eligibility between disadvantaged and affluent students has nearly halved in ten years, dropping from 24.6 to 12 percentage points. Overall eligibility and honors matriculation rates have also increased. The data suggests improvements in the Arab and Haredi communities may contribute to the narrowing gap, though Haredi municipalities still show the lowest eligibility rates.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Matriculation exam eligibility gaps between poor and rich students narrowed by nearly half in a decade.
- Eligibility gaps decreased from 24.6 percentage points in 2015 to 12 percentage points in 2025.
- Overall matriculation eligibility rose to 77.9% in 2025, with honors eligibility at 14.4%.
- Arab community matriculation eligibility increased significantly to 83.9% in 2025.
- Haredi municipalities like Modi'in Illit and Bnei Brak show the lowest eligibility rates.
The gap in matriculation exam eligibility between students from disadvantaged and affluent socioeconomic backgrounds has narrowed by nearly half over the past decade, according to data released by the Ministry of Education. In 2015, the difference in eligibility rates was 24.6 percentage points, which decreased to 12 percentage points by 2025. This represents a reduction from 13.9 percentage points in 2024.
The ministry's socioeconomic classification is based on a 'nurturing index' that measures the support needed by educational institutions. The data indicates a rise in overall matriculation eligibility and in eligibility for honors matriculation. The narrowing of the gap may be partly explained by increased eligibility rates in the Arab and Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) communities, some of whose institutions rank high on the nurturing index.
Specifically, eligibility in the Arab community rose by 5.6 percentage points between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years, from 78.3% to 83.9%. The Haredi community saw a more modest increase, from 26.7% to 27.6%.
Overall, matriculation eligibility for all 12th-grade students increased from 76.6% in 2024 to 77.9% in 2025. Eligibility for honors matriculation also saw an upward trend, reaching 14.4% in 2025, compared to 13.1% in 2024 and 12.4% in 2023. An honors matriculation requires five units of English, at least four units of mathematics, an average grade of 90 or higher, and significant personal commitment.
The data, part of the ministry's annual "Educational Picture" database, covers students in institutions with over ten students taking matriculation exams. Notably, 42 out of 88 institutions with 100% matriculation eligibility belong to the state-religious sector. Lowest eligibility rates were recorded in Haredi municipalities like Modi'in Illit (4.5%) and Bnei Brak (14.5%).
