A literacy rate of 100 % was reported as early as 1960. In the communist era, Armenian education followed the standard Soviet model of complete state control of curricula and teaching methods and close integration of education activities with other aspects of society, such as politics, culture, and the economy.

In the 1990-91 school year, the around 1,308 primary and secondary schools were attended by 610,000 students. Another seventy specialized secondary institutions had 45,000 students, and 68,000 students were listed in a total of ten postsecondary institutions that included universities.

Soviet government’s emphasis on free and universal education, nearly all adults in Armenia can read and write. During the Soviet time, the educational system was controlled by the central government in Moscow, and schools were required to promote Soviet Communist ideals. In the early 1990s, after achieving freedom, Armenia made substantial changes to its educational system. Most notably, curricula began to emphasize Armenian history and culture, and Armenian replaced Russian as the dominant language of instruction. Today, primary and secondary levels of instruction are compulsory and available free of charge. The nation’s largest university is Yerevan State University, founded in 1919 in Yerevan. Other institutes of higher education offer specialized instruction in engineering, agriculture, architecture, fine arts, and theater arts.