Education in Sofia, Bulgaria: official figures
Stolichna (Sofia) municipality had 306 educational institutions in the 2024/25 school year: 234 general education schools, 30 vocational gymnasiums and 20 universities or equivalent higher schools.
How many pupils per teacher are there in Sofia?
Schools in Sofia taught 147,273 pupils with 13,472 teachers in 2024/25, 10.9 pupils per teacher against 10.3 nationally.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many university students are there in Sofia?
85,223 students were enrolled at colleges and universities in Stolichna (Sofia) municipality in 2024/25, 66 per 1,000 residents against 32 nationally.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many kindergartens are there in Sofia?
294 kindergartens in Sofia cared for 46,685 children with 3,859 kindergarten teachers in 2024/25 (12.1 children per teacher, national 12.1); 2,091 of the children attended kindergartens in villages.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many young children are in childcare in Sofia?
52% of children under 5 were in day care or school in 2025 (517 per 1,000).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many students are there in Sofia?
87,678 students were enrolled in higher education in Sofia in 2025, 68 for every 1,000 residents.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Sofia have a degree?
Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Sofia in 2022, 47% had a degree-level education, 45% an upper secondary education and 8% at most lower secondary schooling.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 41.9% of upper-secondary students in Sofia followed vocational programmes in 2024/25, the lowest of 6 cities (national share 57.0%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Sofia had 216 creches with 8,472 places at the end of 2024, attended by 8,373 children. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- In the EU's 2023 survey of quality of life in European cities, 59% of residents of Sofia were satisfied with schools and other educational facilities. Source: Eurostat · saved copy
How Sofia compares with other cities in Bulgaria
Pupils per school teacher (2024/25)
Sofia ranks 5 of 6, highest first. General, special, art, sport and vocational schools
| Rank | City | Pupils per school teacher |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varna | 11.8 |
| 2 | Burgas | 11.7 |
| 3 | Plovdiv | 11.5 |
| 4 | Stara Zagora | 11.1 |
| 5 | Sofia | 10.9 |
| 6 | Ruse | 10.1 |
Upper-secondary students in vocational programmes (%) (2024/25)
Sofia ranks 6 of 6, highest first.
| Rank | City | Upper-secondary students in vocational programmes (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burgas | 65.8% |
| 2 | Stara Zagora | 61.4% |
| 3 | Plovdiv | 59.1% |
| 4 | Ruse | 59.1% |
| 5 | Varna | 58.2% |
| 6 | Sofia | 41.9% |
College and university students per 1,000 residents (2024/25)
Sofia ranks 3 of 6, highest first. By location of the institution
| Rank | City | College and university students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plovdiv | 102 |
| 2 | Varna | 67 |
| 3 | Sofia | 66 |
| 4 | Stara Zagora | 42 |
| 5 | Ruse | 35 |
| 6 | Burgas | 32 |
Kindergarten children per teacher (2024/25)
Sofia ranks 5 of 6, highest first.
| Rank | City | Kindergarten children per teacher |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stara Zagora | 14.5 |
| 2 | Varna | 13.9 |
| 3 | Plovdiv | 13.7 |
| 4 | Burgas | 13.2 |
| 5 | Sofia | 12.1 |
| 6 | Ruse | 11.6 |
Higher education students per 1,000 residents (2025)
Sofia ranks 3 of 6, highest first.
| Rank | City | Higher education students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plovdiv | 104 |
| 2 | Varna | 69 |
| 3 | Sofia | 68 |
| 4 | Stara Zagora | 43 |
| 5 | Ruse | 36 |
| 6 | Burgas | 32 |
Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 (2025)
Sofia ranks 3 of 6, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burgas | 542 |
| 2 | Ruse | 526 |
| 3 | Sofia | 517 |
| 4 | Varna | 515 |
| 5 | Stara Zagora | 496 |
| 6 | Plovdiv | 456 |
More on Sofia: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · all cities in Bulgaria
Sources
- National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI): Regions, districts and municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria 2024 (yearbook tables by statistical region, district and municipality), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81cba27bb0cc…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_percep: Quality of life in European cities survey 2023: perception (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81bd3e277f3e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ceduc: Urban Audit: education (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 af187c7040a4…)
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