Free education is education funded through government spending or charitable organizations rather than tuition funding. Primary school and other comprehensive or compulsory education is free in most countries (often not including primary textbook). Tertiary education is also free in certain countries, including post-graduate studies in Guyana and the Nordic countries.
The Article 13 of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ensures the right to free education at primary education and progressive introduction of it at secondary and higher education as the right to education.International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 13, 1
Free education as a human right Free education—at various levels—has been guaranteed by both domestic constitutions and in international human rights treaties.
The cost of education first became a subject of international law following World War I, although only for certain countries and only in limited situations. The "Minority Treaties" guaranteed racial, religious, and linguistic minorities in specific European countries an equal right with other nationals to establish schools at their own expense, but where such groups formed a considerable proportion of the population, they were assured of an equitable share of public educational funds, as well as instruction in their languages in public primary schools.
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declared that everyone has a right to education, and that education "shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages."
In the first treaty dedicated to education--the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education-- states undertake to "make primary education free and compulsory; make secondary education in its different forms generally available and accessible to all; [and] make higher education equally accessible to all on the basis of individual capacity."
Under the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, countries recognize "the right of everyone to education," and that "primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all;" secondary education, including technical and vocational education, "shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education;" and that "higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education." Countries undertake to "achieve progressively the full realization" of this right by all appropriate means and "to the maximum" of available resources.
The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child states that countries "recognize the right of the child to education" and that they "shall, in particular … (a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all; (b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need; [and] (c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means."
In June 2024, the UN's Human Rights Council approved the establishment of a working group with the mandate of "exploring the possibility of, elaborating and submitting to the Human Rights Council a draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the aim to: ... Explicitly state that, with a view to achieving the right to education, States shall: (i) Make public pre-primary education available free to all, beginning with at least one year; (ii) Make public secondary education available free to all."
Countries State universities in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Sweden do not charge international students with tuition fees for Ph.D. degrees and in some cases for bachelor's and master's degrees as well.
State Local language-taught bachelor's and master's degrees tuition fees (per year) for international students English-taught bachelor's and master's degrees tuition fees (per year) for international students Ph.D. degrees tuition fees for international students Ph.D. degrees tuition fees for EEA students
In Argentina, education is free since 1949 in every state university, not only for Argentine students, but also for international students willing to study in Argentina. Free education is financed by the Ministry of Education.
In Bangladesh, article 17 of Constitution of Bangladesh provides that all children receive free and compulsory education. Primary and secondary education is financed by the state and free of charge in public schools. The government provides free textbooks to all primary and secondary-level students. In 2022, 347,016,277 free textbooks have been distributed among 41,726,856 students across the country. The government provides free school meals to 400,000 children in 2,000 schools across 8 Divisions.
In Brazil, free education is offered by the Ministry of Education, which offers scholarships for graduate degrees, masters, doctoral and post-doctoral for Brazilians and immigrants with a Brazilian citizenship. The best universities and research centers are public institutions, financed by either the local state (state universities) or the federal government (federal universities). Graduate students can get paid if they qualify for the incentive, but competition usually are extremely fierce.
In China, steps towards free education are being taken. The Free Compulsory Education Reform can be described as a program akin to a school subsidy initiative, wherein qualifying students receive financial assistance that encompasses tuition fees and other associated expenses.
In Denmark, university education is provided for free via a monthly stipend, the "Statens Uddannelsesstøtte" or "SU", to students over 18 years of age or students who are under 18 and attending a higher education. Bachelor and master's degrees in Denmark are offered in either Danish or English depending on the programme or university.
From 2013, Estonia started providing free higher education.
In European Union countries such as France and Malta, tuition is usually free for European students, and in Germany, tuition is free for all European and international students.
In Fiji the government announced in 2013 it would cover the costs of primary and secondary school education, equivalent to 250 Fiji dollars per year per student.
In Guyana, free education is offered to all Guyanese and immigrants with Guyanese citizenship at all educational levels including nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary at the University of Guyana.
In Iran, most prestigious universities are called governmental universities which offer free education for students who pass a very competitive entrance exam with high scores. Graduates from these universities are obliged to serve the country for as many years as they studied for their degree, in order to get their diploma.
In the Republic of Ireland, the Constitution provides that the State shall provide for free primary education. Free post-primary education was introduced by a Department of Education circular dated 1 February 1967 and took effect from 1 September 1967. The European Commission's Eurydice profile for Ireland states that the introduction of free post-primary education led to a major increase in pupil participation. At higher education level, eligible first-time full-time undergraduate students may have tuition fees paid by the State under the Free Fees Initiative, but they are normally still liable for a separate student contribution charge. For the 2025/26 academic year, this charge was €2,500 per year.
In Mali, free education implementation is a relatively recent phenomenon. Prior to the turn of the century, education was often too expensive for many families, leading to a high rate of illiteracy and educational inequity. The 1990s saw the beginning of reforms with several NGOs and international bodies lobbying and offering support for free and inclusive education.
In Mauritius, the government provides free education to its citizens from pre-primary to tertiary levels. Since July 2005, the government also introduced free transport for all students.
In New Zealand, the Labour government will introduce three years of free post-school study or training. From 1 January 2018, new students will have one year free for entering study or training. From 2021, those starting tertiary education would get two years free, and from 2024 three years. The overall cost of the package is $6 billion. Labour has also pledged to increase student allowances by $50 a week, and to restore post-graduate students' eligibility for student allowances.
In Norway, at the University of Oslo, there is no tuition fee except a small semester fee of NOK(600) (US$74).
In the Philippines, public primary and secondary schools are free of tuition. The 1935 Constitution provided for universal primary education. Primary education was made free under the 1973 Constitution, while the 1987 Constitution extended free education to the secondary level. Free public tertiary education has been enacted in 2017.
In Russia, prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union, tuition was free for everyone obtaining sufficient grades. Since 1991, students obtaining sufficient grades, are still eligible for a free education (on a competitive basis) in state or private universities, but the student can also pay for studying if grades are above minimal threshold, but not enough to be enrolled into the desired university for free.
In Sri Lanka, free education is provided by the government at different levels. Government funded schools such as national schools, provincial schools and Piriven provide primary and secondary education free, while assisted schools and semi-governmental schools provide the same at subsidized rates. At the university level, the universities provide undergraduate courses free, however, this totals only about 10% for those qualified for university entrance. Grants and scholarships are provided for a limited number of study allowances. Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara who was the Minister of Education made education free for all Sri Lankan students in 1940 s. Kannangara's significant achievements in areas of education have led him to being commonly referred to as the Father of Free Education in Sri Lanka.
In Sweden, until the early 21st century, free education was provided to foreign students. Changes have been introduced to charge fees to foreign students from outside the European community.
In Tanzania, a fee free education was introduced for all the government schools in 2014. Government would pay the fees, however parents were required to pay for the school uniform and other materials.
In Trinidad and Tobago, free tertiary education is offered to citizens up to the undergraduate level at accredited public and select private institutions. Postgraduate degrees are paid up to 50% by the government at accredited institutions. This benefit is given to the citizens under a programme called Government Assisted Tuition Expenses Programme and it is managed by the Funding and Grants Administration Division of the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training