Uzbekistan’s university enrolment reached 1.43mn students in 2024/2025, with the number more than five times higher than the figure recorded in 2015, according to the state's statistical agency. 

The number of students that enrolled in higher education in the 2015/2016 academic year stood at only 264,300. 

Enrolment grew to 268,300 in 2016/2017 and 297,700 in 2017/2018. By 2018/2019, it reached 360,200 and by 2019/2020 it hit 441,000. 

Growth sped up to bring totals of 571,500 in 2020/2021, 808,400 in 2021/2022 and over 1mn in 2022/2023. The figure stood at 1.3mn in 2023/2024.

Women make up towards half of the student body in Uzbekistan, with 782,000 enrolled.

The rise in university enrolment aligns with broader policy goals aimed at modernising Uzbekistan's education sector and boosting human capital to support economic diversification and growth.

Uzbekistan’s education sector is said by officials to be, in many ways, changing for the better as part of a wider revival across Central Asia, a region known for its rich history of great scholars. 

The other Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are also, say human development observers, are also making strides—improving literacy, raising teaching standards and building new schools. 

In February, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Uzbekistan signed a $160.25mn agreement to improve the Uzbek education sector. 

The funding will contribute to the building of 58 inclusive schools and the equipping of 2,431 classrooms with modern facilities.