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Rabat — Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Azzedine El Midaoui, pledged to maintain free access to quality public higher education during a press conference in Rabat on Wednesday.
El Midaoui addressed concerns about paid programs at public universities, stressing that the government will protect this fundamental right. “No one will touch the free nature of this service,” he stated firmly.
Record enrollment numbers
Morocco’s public universities now serve 1,144,801 students, representing 87% of all higher education enrollments. The ministry projects total enrollment will reach more than 1,310,000 students, marking a 3.8% increase from the previous academic year.
The current 2025-2026 academic year welcomed more than 338,500 new students across all institutions. Within the public sector alone, 928,195 students (81% of the total) attend open-access institutions, while 216,606 others (19%) study at selective-admission establishments.
Private institutions enrolled 102,462 students (8% of the total), representing a notable 12.5% increase from the 2024-2025 period. Meanwhile, higher education institutions not affiliated with universities serve 62,637 students (5%), up 10.3% year-over-year.
Student distribution across fields
Among students at open-access institutions, half pursue degrees in legal, economic, and social sciences — a 2% increase. Another 26% study literature and humanities (up 3%), while 12% focus on sciences (up 5%), and another 12% attend multidisciplinary faculties (up 0.4%).
The sector employs 18,726 professor-researchers and 8,058 administrative and technical staff. An additional 330 professors and 303 administrators continue to work beyond their extended retirement age provisions, which were implemented in 2025.
Clarifying the free education debate
El Midaoui directly addressed the controversy surrounding paid programs at public universities. He explained that students following standard curricula pay no additional fees. The flexible schedule option primarily serves working professionals, executives, and civil servants who want to enroll in university programs.
“These courses award diplomas that have no difference from those earned by regular students, but they require special fees,” El Midaoui said. “The fees contribute to improving this service and adapting it to the schedules of enrollees, which differ from the normal educational and administrative framework that requires extra effort.”
The minister stressed this arrangement does not signal a shift toward paid public higher education. “We watch this closely,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ministry is working on the development of a new model for university residences through public-private partnerships, according to El Midaoui. This initiative will increase public university housing capacity by 3,962 beds while constructing five new university residences with an additional 7,500 beds.
Regulatory reform and modernization
El Midaoui outlined reforms aligned with Framework Law 51.17, including the preparation of five draft laws, sixteen decrees, and seventeen orders. Key among these texts stands Draft Law 59.24 on organizing higher education and scientific research, currently under review.
The minister outlined new structures for open-access institutions and reorganization of establishments whose creation decrees now appear in the Official Bulletin. These measures aim to “improve the quality of and access to higher education,” he said.
The reforms also address pedagogical changes across numerous fields and amendments to educational standards for bachelor’s and master’s programs. Draft Law 59.24 dedicates a section to research, laying groundwork for the National Strategy for Scientific Research 2026-2035.
The ministry plans to strengthen scientific infrastructure by creating regional branches of the Technical and Scientific Research Support Units (UATRS). This move will make scientific equipment more accessible to researchers across the country.
El Midaoui framed these efforts around building “the university of tomorrow” — one that balances national vision with territorial needs while maintaining the principle of free, quality public education.
