The purpose of this research study is to identify the factors which most influence educational coverage and quality in 944 certified and uncertified municipalities in the years 2005, 2008 and 2011. The results of this study allow one to find evidence for the degree of the development of the educational system at the municipal level in Colombia. First, a descriptive analysis is made of the Colombian educational system and its two objectives, including educational quality and coverage. A definition is given of what is understood by the term “municipality” in Colombian legislation and the concept of “certification” in education, and the following variables, grouped into factors, are described: the municipal context, public administration, educational effectiveness and public spending on education. In the second part, the certified and uncertified municipalities are classified, according to their results in educational coverage and quality. Next, the variable analysis methodology is used by means of relations, correlations and regressions, applying the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), in order to determine the variables which better explain the performance of the Colombian educational system on the municipal level.