Costa rica has one of the highest levels in latin america of people with the ability to understand printed texts and to mark letters, words, and symbols on paper. education in costa rica is free up through high school. it is divided into three stages: pre-school, elementary-middle, and high school, which ends at 17 years old. in nicaragua, students can start school at three years old and end at 18. however, many parents have to withdraw their children from school because of financial difficulties and a lack of jobs. parents find it hard to spend their low income on transportation, uniforms, school materials, and books when they have difficulty affording food. based on the reading, what is a difference between the education in costa rica and nicaragua? the rate of students who can read the school completion age the cost of mandatory education the high price of school supplies