Overview of the General Education System

Once colonized by the Portuguese for 442 years, Macau officially returned to China as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) in 1999, yet under a fundamental policy of “one country, two systems”. The region’s peculiar historical background and administration are reflected in its educational system, as Macau is granted independence in education and other internal affairs. The 9/2006 Fundamental Law of Non-Tertiary Education and the 1993 Basic Law of the Macau SAR have molded the educational milieu to legally support autonomy, multilingual instruction, and the right of private organizations to operate schools.

Macau’s educational system is governed by two bodies: the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, which oversees the pre-primary to upper secondary levels, and the Higher Education Bureau, which supervises tertiary education. Approximately 88% of these primary and secondary schools, often managed by religious or social organizations, exercise academic freedom and autonomy in their curriculum. In addition, 75% of these institutions are government-subsidized and form part of Macau’s free education network.

Moreover, the region’s history also shaped Macau’s education to be diverse as schools adhere to Portuguese, Chinese, Hong Kong, or Taiwanese models. Although most schools teach Chinese, English, and Portuguese are the official media of instruction, depending on the institution’s policy.

Macau’s education institutions and the government are working hand-in-hand to ensure all eligible children can attend school. Studying in Macau is free and compulsory from ages 5 to 15. Primary school begins at age six and lasts for six years before receiving a Primary School Certificate. Students then move to a three-year lower secondary education to obtain a Junior Secondary Certificate.

After completing the compulsory education phase, students in Macau move on to a three-year general upper secondary education program. During this time, they can pursue either technical or vocational tracks that align with their career interests. Upon finishing this phase of their education, students are awarded a Senior Secondary Certificate, which signifies their achievement. As of 2025, Macau boasts a literacy rate of 97.1% among individuals aged 15 and older, reflecting its educational system's effectiveness.

Since the 1990s, Macau’s higher education sector has progressed immensely. The Higher Education Bureau implements policy and monitors the quality assurance of the higher education institutions (HEIs). Today, the region hosts 10 HEIs, including four public and six private universities or polytechnics. During the 2022-2023 academic year, approximately 50,000 individuals pursued higher education at various tertiary institutions in Macau, as highlighted in a comprehensive report by the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ). Universities, polytechnics, and other higher education institutes also offer post-secondary education, in which students take the Joint Entrance Examination to be admitted to study abroad, such as universities in mainland China, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan.

The HEIs also offer a diverse range of credentials, including one-year certificates, two-year diplomas, three-year higher diplomas or bacharelato degrees, and four to five-year licenciatura or bachelor’s degrees. Beyond Bachelor's degrees, Master’s programs (mestrado) require two years of study, while doctoral programs (doutoramento or Ph.D.) take at least three years and require the defense of a dissertation.