Colombia is considered to be one of the most multiethnic societies in the world, home to people of various ethnic, religious and national origins.

[25] The majority of the Colombian population is made up of descendants of Native Americans, mixed in part with Europeans, especially Iberians.

Elements of Native American and more recent immigrant customs, languages and religions have combined to form the culture of Colombia and thus a modern Colombian identity.

In addition to these waves of immigration, a great number of Jews fled to Colombia during and after the Second World War, seeking to escape violence in Europe.

[37] A study by Rojas et al reported an average of 47% Indigenous, 42% European, and 11% African for Mestizo Colombians.

Colombia's indigenous cultures evolved from three main groups—the Quimbayas, who inhabited the western slopes of the Cordillera Central; the Chibchas; and the Kalina (Caribs).

The Muisca culture, a subset of the larger Chibcha ethnic group and famous for their use of gold, were responsible for the legend of El Dorado.

The departments (departamentos) with the biggest indigenous population are Cauca, La Guajira, Nariño, Cordoba and Sucre.

[49] Their current communities are found in Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, Medellín, Santa Marta, Manizales, Cucutá and Pereira.

There are additional Asian populations that immigrated to Colombia in smaller numbers, such as Iranians, Indians, Koreans, Filipinos and Pakistanis.

There are also important communities of American and Chinese descendants in the Andean Region and Caribbean Coast especially in Medellin, Bogota, Cali, Barranquilla and Cartagena.

[53][54] The educational experience of many Colombian children begins with attendance at a preschool academy until age five (Educación preescolar).

The high-school graduate is known as a bachiller, because secondary basic school and middle education are traditionally considered together as a unit called bachillerato (sixth to eleventh grade).

Bachilleres (high-school graduates) may enter into a professional undergraduate career program offered by a university; these programs last up to five years (or less for technical, technological and intermediate professional education, and post-graduate studies), even as much to six to seven years for some careers, such as medicine.

Once graduated from the university, people are granted a (professional, technical or technological) diploma and licensed (if required) to practice the career they have chosen.

For some professional career programs, students are required to take the Saber-Pro test, in their final year of undergraduate academic education.

While Colombia remains a mostly Roman Catholic country by baptism numbers, the 1991 Colombian constitution guarantees freedom and equality of religion.