Private education is offered at all levels in Cyprus. Private schools are registered with the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth which approves their curricula and is responsible for their supervision. Private schools are established by private individuals or businesses and they are usually run on a for-profit basis. They are mainly self-financed raising their funds from tuition fees set by the owner of the school. Their fees must be prior approved by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. The government subsidizes private schools in some cases. In the pre-primary sector, private kindergartens receive financial support from the Ministry since 2004 when pre-primary education became mandatory for children aged between 4 8/12 years and 5 8/12 years (starting from 2021 for students aged 5 to 6 years old). Community kindergartens also receive a subsidy by the government. In addition, the government contributes to the payment of fees for the children from the Turkish Cypriot community or minority religious groups who opt to attend private schools. In the case of some private foreign language schools, financial support is given by overseas governments or organizations.
One hundred and ninety-eight (198) private kindergartens are in operation, 42 private schools of Primary Education, 50 private schools of Secondary Education and 544 Private Tutorial Centers.

Private higher education institutions play a vital role in enriching and expanding the higher education of Cyprus by offering a wide variety of programmes of study that respond to the needs of the labour market. Private Universities offer programmes at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD levels, whereas private institutions of tertiary education provide programmes ranging from one to four years in duration, leading to qualifications at Certificate, Diploma, Higher Diploma, Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. Through private universities, and higher education institutions, the private sector along with the public academic sector, strengthens research, promotes innovation, and supports Cyprus strategic objectives of enhancing quality, internationalisation, and competitiveness in higher education. The Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA) is the competent authority responsible for maintaining and enhancing the quality of higher education in Cyprus. In accordance with the relevant national legislation and the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG), the Agency evaluates and accredits higher education institutions and their programmes of study, conducts institutional and programmatic reviews, and oversees continuous monitoring procedures. Through these mechanisms, CYQAA ensures transparency, accountability, and the ongoing improvement and upgrading of academic provision across both public and private higher education institutions.
Students enrolled in private universities and institutions of higher education benefit from state financial support, as is the case with students attending public universities and institutions of higher education. The provision of state grants reflects the government’s commitment to equitable access to higher education and social cohesion.