Address
Eurydice Unit
Ministry of Higher Education and Science
Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education
Haraldsgade 53
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel: +45 7231 7800
E-Mail: ufs@ufm.dk
Website
This section provides the most recent available data on the number of educational institutions at pre-primary, primay and lower secondary education and upper secondary education level (ISCED levels 0-3).
Information on tertiary education institutions (ISCED levels 5-8) can be found in the European Tertiary Education Register. Educational institutions that cater specifically for adult learning are not covered. A general overview of the categories of institutions providing publicly subsidised adult education and training can be found in the chapter on adult education.
The notes below the tables provide methodological explanations necessary for a good interpretation of the data.
Statistics on educational institutions providing regular education
| Type of educational institution in English (and in Danish) |
ISCED levels provided |
Main orientation of the programmes provided |
Number of educational institutions |
|||
|
Total |
Public |
Government-dependent private |
Private independent |
|||
| Day-care centres (Dagsinstitution) |
0 |
(-) |
6,659 |
(:) |
(:) |
(:) |
| Municipal primary and lower secondary school (Folkeskole) |
1,2 |
G |
1,277 |
1,277 |
(-) |
(-) |
| Private schools and private independent schools (Privatskole og Friskole) |
1,2 |
G |
550 |
(-) |
550 |
(-) |
| Continuation schools (Efterskole) |
2 |
G |
237 |
(-) |
237 |
(-) |
| General upper secondary schools (Gymnasiale uddannelser) |
3 |
G |
172 |
145 |
27 |
(-) |
| Vocational upper secondary schools (Erhvervsskoler) |
3 |
V |
375 |
(-) |
374 |
1 |
Sources: Statistics Denmark, 2025. The Danish Ministry of Children and Education, 2025. Institutionsregisteret [Accessed: 22. June 2026]
NOTE: ISCED= International Standard Classification of Education, G = General, V = Vocational, (:) Data not available, (-) Not applicable
Terminology
The 2020 version of the Unesco/OECD/Eurostat Manual on concepts, definitions and classification can be consulted for the definitions of regular education (p.10); general and vocational programmes of education (p.19); as well as public institution, government-dependent private institution and private independent institution (pp. 24-26).
Notes
The educational institutions are counted in accordance with the legal entity approach. The use of (-) indicates that there are no educational institutions within the specific governance category.
For day-care centres, data by governance category are not available. Therefore, the code (:) is used for public, government-dependent private and private independent day-care centres.
Some educational institutions offer both general and vocational upper secondary education. To avoid double counting, these institutions are counted according to their main orientation in the Institution register (Institutionsregisteret).
Statistics on separate educational institutions providing special needs education
| Type of educational institution in English (and in Danish) |
ISCED levels provided |
Main orientation of the programmes provided |
Number of educational institutions |
|||
|
Total |
Public |
Government-dependent private |
Private independent |
|||
| Special schools for children (Specialskoler for børn) |
1,2 |
G |
172 |
167 |
3 |
2 |
| Day treatment centres (Dagbehandlingstilbud) |
1,2 |
G |
173 |
40 |
113 |
20 |
| Special continuation schools (Special efterskole) |
2 |
G |
40 |
(-) |
40 |
(-) |
Source: The Danish Ministry of Children and Education, 2025. Institutionsregisteret [Accessed 22. June 2026].
NOTE: ISCED= International Standard Classification of Education, G = General, V = Vocational, (:) Data not available, (-) Not applicable
Terminology
The 2020 version of the Unesco/OECD/Eurostat Manual on concepts, definitions and classification can be consulted for the definitions of regular education (p.10); general and vocational programmes of education (p.19); as well as public institution, government-dependent private institution and private independent institution (pp. 24-26).
Notes
The educational institutions are counted in accordance with the legal entity approach. The use of (-) indicates that there are no educational institutions within the specific governance category.