Education in Kedah, Malaysia: official figures
Kedah had 752 government primary and secondary schools in mid-2025 according to the Ministry of Education, 7.3% of the 10,238 in Malaysia; they are made up of 548 primary and 204 secondary schools. Private and international schools are not included.
How many primary and secondary schools are there in Kedah?
548 government primary schools operated in Kedah in mid-2025, 7.0% of the 7,778 in Malaysia, and 204 government secondary schools, 8.3% of the 2,460 in Malaysia.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyDoes Kedah have enough schools?
There are 14.0 government schools for every 10,000 residents aged 5 to 19 in Kedah (2025), 7th highest among the 16 areas; about 715 residents of that age for each school. The figure for Malaysia is 13.0 schools per 10,000.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyIs the number of schools in Kedah changing?
The number of government primary and secondary schools in Kedah rose from 748 in 2018 to 752 in mid-2025 (+4); Malaysia moved from 10,207 to 10,238.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyWhat universities and colleges are there in Kedah?
Kedah has 1 public university in 2025, out of 187 public higher education institutions (universities, polytechnics, community colleges and teacher training institutes) in Malaysia.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyHow Kedah compares with other states
Government primary and secondary schools, mid-2025 (2025)
Kedah ranks 6 of 16, highest first. Counts government primary (sekolah rendah kerajaan) and secondary (sekolah menengah kerajaan) schools; private and international schools are not included.
| Rank | Region | Government primary and secondary schools, mid-2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Johor | 1,195 |
| 4 | Perak | 1,105 |
| 5 | Selangor | 945 |
| 6 | Kedah | 752 |
| 7 | Pahang | 740 |
| 8 | Kelantan | 595 |
| 9 | Terengganu | 506 |
Government schools per 10,000 residents aged 5 to 19, mid-2025 (2025)
Kedah ranks 7 of 16, highest first. Schools divided by the 2025 mid-year estimate of residents aged 5 to 19 (DOSM population estimate).
| Rank | Region | Government schools per 10,000 residents aged 5 to 19, mid-2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Pahang | 17.5 |
| 5 | Negeri Sembilan | 15.9 |
| 6 | Terengganu | 15.4 |
| 7 | Kedah | 14.0 |
| 8 | Melaka | 13.6 |
| 9 | Sabah | 13.0 |
| 10 | Johor | 12.3 |
Residents aged 5 to 19 for each government school, 2025 (2025)
Kedah ranks 10 of 16, highest first. A rough measure of how many young residents each school serves; includes children who attend private schools.
| Rank | Region | Residents aged 5 to 19 for each government school, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Johor | 816 |
| 8 | Sabah | 769 |
| 9 | Melaka | 737 |
| 10 | Kedah | 715 |
| 11 | Terengganu | 650 |
| 12 | Negeri Sembilan | 630 |
| 13 | Pahang | 572 |
Public higher education institutions, 2025 (2025)
Kedah ranks 5 of 16, highest first. Public universities (IPTA), polytechnics, community colleges and teacher training institutes.
| Rank | Region | Public higher education institutions, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Johor | 2 |
| 3 | Terengganu | 2 |
| 4 | Kuala Lumpur | 2 |
| 5 | Kedah | 1 |
| 6 | Kelantan | 1 |
| 7 | Melaka | 1 |
| 8 | Negeri Sembilan | 1 |
More on Kedah: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · Malaysia
Sources
- Ministry of Education Malaysia: Public Education Institutions by District: government primary and secondary schools (EMIS) and public higher education institutions, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 22a8ac4b1fa4…)
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