Backpacks are packed, alarm clocks are set, and summer holidays are drawing to a close. For thousands of children and teenagers in San Marino, it’s time to head back to the classroom. On the eve of the 2026-2027 school year, San Marino’s education system lays out its numbers: a total of 3,639 students will attend schools of every level, along with the vocational training centre.
A brief snapshot of the world of education on the Titano naturally starts with the youngest pupils. Nursery schools count 680 enrolments in September, a figure expected to rise to 730 during the year as further admissions are expected by February. The children are spread across 12 school buildings throughout the Republic.
The largest group, however, is in primary school, with 1,231 pupils. Here there are 13 school buildings and 79 classes in total. On average there are just over 16 children per classroom, although the situation varies considerably from one school to another, ranging from as few as six pupils to as many as 24 in a single class.
After fifth grade, the bulk of students move on to the two middle schools in Fonte dell’Ovo and Serravalle, where 909 pupils are set to return. There are 51 classes, with an average of just over 18 students each: the smallest counts 15 pupils, the largest 20.
In high schools, enrolments stand at 700. Students are split across five different tracks: the classical lyceum, the business and economics lyceum, the linguistic lyceum, the scientific lyceum, and the two-year foundation programme of the Technical Industrial Institute. This is the stage of the education system that guides students toward their final exams and, later, toward university or entry into the workforce.
Rounding out the picture is the Vocational Training Centre, chosen this year by 69 students. There are six classes, averaging 13 students each, divided among courses in industry and craftsmanship, personal care services, business services, and catering.
Taken together, these figures paint the picture of a system gearing back up after the summer break. Starting tomorrow, daily life in San Marino resumes its familiar rhythm of lessons, homework, tests, breaks, and last-minute dashes to class before the bell rings. For 3,639 children and teenagers, a new school year is about to begin.
