Female Students Become Majority in Uzbek Universities
Student numbers in Uzbekistan’s higher education institutions reached 1,535,000 at the start of the 2025/2026 academic year, according to figures released by the National Committee for Statistics.
The latest data indicates a year-on-year increase of 102,200 students, representing a 7.1% rise compared with the previous academic year. The expansion reflects a broader long-term trend, with total university enrolment nearly doubling since the 2021/2022 academic year when the student population stood at 808,400.
The statistical update highlights a significant demographic shift in higher education, with female students now making up the majority of the university population. Out of the 1.53 million students currently enrolled, 782,900 are female and 752,100 are male.
This marks a substantial change from five years ago when female enrollment stood at 369,000, accounting for 45% of the total student body at the time.
At the start of the current academic year, Uzbekistan had 215 functioning higher education institutions, a figure that includes both main universities and regional branches. This total represents a slight consolidation of the academic network, with the overall number of institutions decreasing by seven over the past 12 months.
The geographical distribution of universities remains heavily concentrated in the capital city. Tashkent leads the country by a wide margin, hosting 98 institutions. The remaining universities are distributed across the regions as follows:
- Tashkent Region: 19 institutions
- Samarkand Region: 14 institutions
- Republic of Karakalpakstan: 11 institutions
- Bukhara Region: 11 institutions
