Education Sector — Islamabad Capital Territory
Public schools and colleges under the Federal Directorate of Education, universities, literacy, and out-of-school children aged 5–16. Figures draw on PBS Census 2023, Pakistan Education Statistics, FDE, and the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, primarily 2023–2026.
Formal public schools and colleges
FDE total423–432About 149 urban and 283 rural. FDE institutions serve roughly 220,000–243,000 students from pre-primary to post-graduate level. The district profile lists 400+ schools and 32 colleges.
Universities
20+ HEC-recognised institutions, public and private. Private examples include FAST-NUCES, Capital University of Science and Technology, Riphah International University, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, and Foundation University.
Public universities
- Quaid-i-Azam University
- National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
- COMSATS University Islamabad
- International Islamic University, Islamabad
- Allama Iqbal Open University
- National University of Modern Languages (NUML)
- Air University
- Bahria University
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS)
- Institute of Space Technology
- National Defence University
- Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University
- National University of Technology / National Skills University
Institutions under FDE
| Type | Approximate count |
|---|---|
| Islamabad Model Schools (primary, middle, and high) | ~391 |
| FG / Islamabad Model Colleges | ~12–32 |
| FDE total (schools and colleges) | ~423–432 |
| Registered private institutions (ICT-PEIRA) | ~1,500–1,600+ |
A published public-only split by primary, elementary, high, and higher secondary is not available in the same form as a provincial division. Broader public-plus-private estimates have included about 579 primary, 474 middle, 364 high, and 201 higher secondary, and should be treated cautiously.
Public institutions
Literacy (Census 2023 / PBS)
| Indicator | Pakistan | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Overall literacy (10+ years) | ~60–61% | ~84% |
| Male | ~68% | ~88.2% |
| Female | ~53% | ~79.1% |
| Youth literacy, ages 15–24 (PSLM 2019-20) | ~72% | ~93% |
Literacy rate
Out-of-school children (ages 5–16)
Census 2023 is the primary official baseline. Of 591,703 children aged 5–16, 502,576 (84.94%) were in school and 89,127 (15.06%) were out of school.
| Group | Children | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Out of school, male | 47,849 | 15.29% of boys |
| Out of school, female | 41,275 | 14.81% of girls |
| Never attended | ~40,477 | 6.84% |
| Dropped out | ~48,650 | 8.22% |
| Rural out-of-school rate | — | ~13.6% |
| Urban out-of-school rate | — | ~16.8% |
Door-to-door surveys under the “No Child Left Behind” / Zero OOSC campaigns (2025–2026) identified lower operational counts in targeted union councils, about 22,000–27,000, with thousands already enrolled. Those counts do not replace the census.