Education in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria: official figures
Stara Zagora municipality had 46 educational institutions in the 2024/25 school year: 33 general education schools, 9 vocational gymnasiums and 1 universities or equivalent higher schools.
How many pupils per teacher are there in Stara Zagora?
With 1,596 school teachers for 17,649 pupils in 2024/25, Stara Zagora had 11.1 pupils per teacher (3rd lowest of 6 cities; Bulgaria 10.3).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many university students are there in Stara Zagora?
5,937 students were enrolled at colleges and universities in Stara Zagora municipality in 2024/25, 42 per 1,000 residents against 32 nationally.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many kindergartens are there in Stara Zagora?
30 kindergartens in Stara Zagora cared for 4,988 children with 344 kindergarten teachers in 2024/25 (14.5 children per teacher, national 12.1); 451 of the children attended kindergartens in villages.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many young children are in childcare in Stara Zagora?
50% of children under 5 were in day care or school in 2025 (496 per 1,000).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many students are there in Stara Zagora?
6,077 students were enrolled in higher education in Stara Zagora in 2025, 43 for every 1,000 residents.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Stara Zagora have a degree?
Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Stara Zagora 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
- 61.4% of upper-secondary students in Stara Zagora followed vocational programmes in 2024/25, 2nd highest of 6 cities (national share 57.0%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Stara Zagora had 15 creches with 892 places at the end of 2024, attended by 865 children. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Stara Zagora compares with other cities in Bulgaria
Pupils per school teacher (2024/25)
Stara Zagora ranks 4 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)
Stara Zagora ranks 2 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)
Stara Zagora ranks 4 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)
Stara Zagora ranks 1 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)
Stara Zagora ranks 4 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)
Stara Zagora ranks 5 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 Stara Zagora: 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_ceduc: Urban Audit: education (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 af187c7040a4…)
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