Education in Sabah, Malaysia: official figures
Sabah had 1,298 government primary and secondary schools in mid-2025 according to the Ministry of Education, 12.7% of the 10,238 in Malaysia; they are made up of 1,075 primary and 223 secondary schools. Private and international schools are not included.
How many primary and secondary schools are there in Sabah?
1,075 government primary schools operated in Sabah in mid-2025, 13.8% of the 7,778 in Malaysia, and 223 government secondary schools, 9.1% of the 2,460 in Malaysia.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyDoes Sabah have enough schools?
There are 13.0 government schools for every 10,000 residents aged 5 to 19 in Sabah (2025), 8th lowest among the 16 areas; about 769 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 Sabah changing?
The number of government primary and secondary schools in Sabah rose from 1,296 in 2018 to 1,298 in mid-2025 (+2); Malaysia moved from 10,207 to 10,238.
Source: Ministry of Education Malaysia · saved copyWhat universities and colleges are there in Sabah?
Sabah 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 Sabah compares with other states
Government primary and secondary schools, mid-2025 (2025)
Sabah ranks 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarawak | 1,460 |
| 2 | Sabah | 1,298 |
| 3 | Johor | 1,195 |
| 4 | Perak | 1,105 |
| 5 | Selangor | 945 |
| 6 | Kedah | 752 |
| 7 | Pahang | 740 |
Government schools per 10,000 residents aged 5 to 19, mid-2025 (2025)
Sabah ranks 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Terengganu | 15.4 |
| 7 | Kedah | 14.0 |
| 8 | Melaka | 13.6 |
| 9 | Sabah | 13.0 |
| 10 | Johor | 12.3 |
| 11 | Penang | 11.5 |
| 12 | Kelantan | 11.1 |
Residents aged 5 to 19 for each government school, 2025 (2025)
Sabah ranks 8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Kelantan | 902 |
| 6 | Penang | 873 |
| 7 | Johor | 816 |
| 8 | Sabah | 769 |
| 9 | Melaka | 737 |
| 10 | Kedah | 715 |
| 11 | Terengganu | 650 |
Public higher education institutions, 2025 (2025)
Sabah ranks 13 of 16, highest first. Public universities (IPTA), polytechnics, community colleges and teacher training institutes.
| Rank | Region | Public higher education institutions, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Perak | 1 |
| 11 | Perlis | 1 |
| 12 | Penang | 1 |
| 13 | Sabah | 1 |
| 14 | Sarawak | 1 |
| 15 | Labuan | 0 |
| 16 | Putrajaya | 0 |
More on Sabah: 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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