This paper analyzes the interaction between educational policy and development strategies inColombia, throughout the twentieth century. The present state of education is reviewed, notonly at primary and secondary levels, but also at the higher leve!. Three basic criterio areconsidered for this purpose: population with access to education, quality of education andequal access to education. For the specific case of higher education, capacity of institutions ofhigher education is compared with existing demand; higher education is divided into its differentcategories; and a brief description of human resources available in the Colombian highereducation system is presented . Likewise, challenges facing higher education are analyzed, inparticular its capacity to achieve cohesion of society, to avoid the exclusion of sorne of itsmembers and to allow all to share the same ideals, which are considered attainable by everyone.Finally, sorne conclusions derived from this study are presented and severa! recommendationsare suggested.