Education in Penang, Malaysia: official figures
Penang had 396 government primary and secondary schools in mid-2025 according to the Ministry of Education, 3.9% of the 10,238 in Malaysia; they are made up of 269 primary and 127 secondary schools. Private and international schools are not included.
How many primary and secondary schools are there in Penang?
269 government primary schools operated in Penang in mid-2025, 3.5% of the 7,778 in Malaysia, and 127 government secondary schools, 5.2% of the 2,460 in Malaysia.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyDoes Penang have enough schools?
There are 11.5 government schools for every 10,000 residents aged 5 to 19 in Penang (2025), 6th lowest among the 16 areas; about 873 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 Penang changing?
The number of government primary and secondary schools in Penang fell from 399 in 2018 to 396 in mid-2025 (-3); Malaysia moved from 10,207 to 10,238.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyWhat universities and colleges are there in Penang?
Penang 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 Penang compares with other states
Government primary and secondary schools, mid-2025 (2025)
Penang ranks 11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Kelantan | 595 |
| 9 | Terengganu | 506 |
| 10 | Negeri Sembilan | 479 |
| 11 | Penang | 396 |
| 12 | Melaka | 318 |
| 13 | Kuala Lumpur | 290 |
| 14 | Perlis | 104 |
Government schools per 10,000 residents aged 5 to 19, mid-2025 (2025)
Penang ranks 11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Melaka | 13.6 |
| 9 | Sabah | 13.0 |
| 10 | Johor | 12.3 |
| 11 | Penang | 11.5 |
| 12 | Kelantan | 11.1 |
| 13 | Labuan | 10.6 |
| 14 | Kuala Lumpur | 7.4 |
Residents aged 5 to 19 for each government school, 2025 (2025)
Penang ranks 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kuala Lumpur | 1,351 |
| 4 | Labuan | 943 |
| 5 | Kelantan | 902 |
| 6 | Penang | 873 |
| 7 | Johor | 816 |
| 8 | Sabah | 769 |
| 9 | Melaka | 737 |
Public higher education institutions, 2025 (2025)
Penang ranks 12 of 16, highest first. Public universities (IPTA), polytechnics, community colleges and teacher training institutes.
| Rank | Region | Public higher education institutions, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Pahang | 1 |
| 10 | Perak | 1 |
| 11 | Perlis | 1 |
| 12 | Penang | 1 |
| 13 | Sabah | 1 |
| 14 | Sarawak | 1 |
| 15 | Labuan | 0 |
More on Penang: 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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