Education
Sector in Oman Records Growth in Student Numbers

Muscat,
23 Sep 2026 (ONA) — The total population aged 10 years and above holding a
bachelor’s degree or higher in the Sultanate of Oman increased by 6 percent in
2025 compared with 2024, while the illiteracy rate among the same age group
declined from 2.29% in 2024 to 2.25% in 2025, according to the latest data
published in the Education Statistics Bulletin 2026, issued by the National
Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The statistics showed that expatriates accounted for 89.3% of the total
population aged 10 years and above classified under the “able to read and
write” educational level in 2025.

In terms of expenditure, government expenditure on the education sector
accounted for 16.3% of total government expenditure in 2025, while the
contribution of the education sector to GDP at current prices stood at 4.8%
during the same year.

In the area of early childhood development, the number of nurseries declined by
1.5% in 2025 compared with the previous year, reaching 329 nurseries, while the
total number of children enrolled stood at 9,548, including 8,044 Omani
children and 1,504 expatriate children.

The
average number of children per nursery stood at 29, compared with 30 children
per nursery in the previous year.

The Omanization rate among nursery staff also increased to 77.5% in 2025,
compared with 75.2% in the previous year. The number of Omani female employees
reached 1,632, compared with 475 expatriate employees.

In the early education sector during the 2025/2026 academic year, the total
number of schools providing early education services increased by 7% compared
with the previous academic year, reaching 2,252 schools. Some 53 percent of
these schools were concentrated in the Governorates of Muscat, North Al Batinah
and A’Dakhiliyah. The gross enrolment rate in kindergartens stood at 75% during
the 2024/2025 academic year.

The classroom density in pre-primary education schools stood at 16 students per
class during the 2025/2026 academic year, while 58.3% of the total number of
kindergarten students was concentrated in the Governorates of Muscat, North Al
Batinah and A’Dakhiliyah. Students enrolled in private kindergartens accounted
for 85.5 percent, while Omani children represented 88% of total kindergarten
enrolment during the same academic year.

In the school education sector, the total number of schools providing school
education services during the 2025/2026 academic year reached 1,816, with
government schools accounting for 72%. The total number of students enrolled in
school education stood at approximately 980,000, an increase of 3.4%, compared
with the previous academic year, while the total number of teachers reached
approximately 88,000, an increase of 5.5 percent compared with the previous
year.

The average number of students per teacher stood at 12, while classroom density
reached 27 students per class, compared with 28 students in the previous year.

In the field of literacy and adult education, the total number of learners
enrolled in literacy programs reached 2,032 during the 2025/2026 academic year,
a decline of 13.2%, compared with the previous academic year, with females
accounting for 99.5% of the total.

Meanwhile,
the number of learners enrolled in adult education programs reached 4,718 of
whom males accounted for 58.4 percent.In the non-tertiary vocational education sector, classified as post-secondary
non-tertiary education (ISCED 4), the total number of students admitted to
training courses at vocational colleges reached 386 during the 2025/2026
academic year, a decline of 67.1%, compared with the previous year. The total
number of students enrolled in vocational college training courses stood at
1,148, with males accounting for 94 percent.

The specialization in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment maintenance
and repair accounted for the largest share of students enrolled in vocational
colleges, at 22.1% of the total during the same academic year.

In the higher education sector, the total number of students admitted to higher
education during the 2024/2025 academic year reached 39,194, a decline of
11.4%, compared with the previous academic year, with females accounting for
54.7 percent of total admissions.

The total number of students enrolled in higher education stood at 145,885, of
whom 78 percent were enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs or equivalent
programs, comprising 81,131 female students and 64,754 male students. The gross
enrolment rate in higher education among the 18–22 age groups stood at 47.4%
during the same academic year.

Regarding students studying abroad, the total number of students enrolled in
higher education institutions outside the Sultanate of Oman reached 9,697
during the 2024/2025 academic year. Of these, 6% were studying in the GCC
countries, 37% in Arab countries and 57% in other countries.

The total number of graduates from higher education institutions reached 32,499
during the 2024/2025 academic year. The share of graduates in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields increased to 33.7%,
compared with 30.8 percent in the previous academic year.

At the level of higher education institutions and their academic staff, private
institutions accounted for 68 percent of the total higher education
institutions in the Sultanate of Oman during the 2024/2025 academic year.

The
Omanization rate among academic staff also increased to 40%, compared with 37%
in the previous year, while the number of Omani academics increased by 12
percent between the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic years.

These indicators reflect developments across the various stages of the education
sector and provide a statistical foundation for policymaking, decision-making
and performance evaluation. They also support the effective use of data in
developing the education system, keeping pace with national priorities and
advancing the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.

—Ends/AG