Northern Mariana Islands

Istudianti fine’nina. Olighát ghomw.
Students first. (Finuʼ Chamorro / Refaluwasch)

coastal view

The Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas) includes 14 islands in the Mariana Islands archipelago. All of its population lives on three islands — Saipan, Tinian, and Rota — with the majority on Saipan. CNMI is officially a U.S. commonwealth. [1]

Official / Indigenous languages

Official / Indigenous languages

Finuʼ Chamorro, Refaluwasch (Southern Carolinian), Talaabwogh (Northern Carolinian)
* note: many people are bilingual in English

Common greetings in Finuʼ Chamorro (pdf)
Common greetings in Carolinian (pdf)

population icon

Population

51,659 (July 2021 est.) [1]

school icon

Number of schools

35 ECE centers in SY18-19
9 elementary schools; 7 middle schools; 6 high schools [2]

school icon

Number of students

10,052 students in in SY18-19
441 in ECE; 4,272 in elementary; 2,122 in middle; 3,217 in high school [2]

teachers icon

Number of teachers

447 teachers in SY18-19
197 in elementary; 250 in secondary [2]

teacher credentials icon

Teacher credentials

55% with bachelor’s degree in SY18-19
34% with master’s degree
2% with doctorate degree [2]

higher education icon

Institutes of higher education

Northern Marianas College offers associate degrees and certificates in business, languages and humanities, liberal arts, nursing, education, sciences, mathematics, health sciences, social science, and art. NMC also offers Bachelor’s degrees in business and education.

For more information about the CNMI Public School System

  • Standards-based assessment scores, teacher/student demographic data, and fiscal accountability from the CNMI PSS Department of Accountability, Research, & Evaluation: https://www.cnmipssoare.org/
  • Content standards and benchmarks from the Office of Curriculum & Instruction: https://cnmipssoci.org/
[1] https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/northern-mariana-islands/
[2] https://www.cnmipssoare.org/application/files/8815/8031/8258/SY_2018-2019_CNMIPSS_Annual_Report_1.24b_ForPrinters.pdf