The total number of students in higher education in Cyprus during 2020-2021 reached 54,235, of which 78% were studying in universities and 22% in  Institutions of Tertiary Education. Compared to the previous academic year  (2019-2020) the number of students showed an increase of 2%.

According to the Ministry of Education, students in the academic year 2020-2021 went to either one of the nine universities, of which three are public and six are private, or to one of the 50 Institutions of Tertiary Education of which five are public and 45 are private.

The majority of students are Cypriot citizens (43.91%), 39.85% are citizens of EU countries and 16.25 % come from third countries.

Although the number of Cypriot students remains stable, the total number of students from EU countries studying in higher education institutions in Cyprus shows a steady increase in the last eight years.

The same applies for students from third countries, except in the academic year 2020-2021 when their number declined probably due to the pandemic.

Regarding the field of study, the majority of university students attended study programs in Business Administration and Law (28%), Education (24%) and Health Sciences (15%).

In the Institutions of Tertiary Education the majority of students studied Business Administration and Law (64%), Services (19%) and Engineering and Construction (6%).