Post-secondary education comprises technical and vocational courses offered by the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), a state institution, and degree programs offered by Kuwait University, and 14 private universities .
The Government of Kuwait is encouraging its citizens to opt for vocational training programs to fulfill the demand for a skilled workforce. Students enrolling for vocational training at PAAET can join programs after primary, intermediate or secondary school, although the majority of students, about 70 percent, are enrolled having completed secondary level education. In 2005/06 there were 12,285 students enrolled in after-secondary training courses, of which 62 percent were female. The total number of students in vocational training at PAAET increased by 8 percent from the previous year, to 17,459 students. The male enrollment decreased by 10 percent whereas the female enrollment increased by 42 percent. This substantial increase was due to the introduction of new vocational programs in line with the demands of the female students .
Post-secondary education include courses at a PAAET technical college lasting for two and a half years, following which the students receive a certificate that is less than a tertiary diploma, but does allow the graduates to enter the workforce.
Higher education
There are four state-supported higher education institutions in Kuwait.
Kuwait University
The College of Basic Education in PAAET
Higher Institute for Theater Arts
Higher Institute of Music Arts
In the academic year 2005/06, the total enrollment within these institutions reached 27,308, an increase of 7 percent from the previous year. The proportion of females in the undergraduate studies is 70 percent. The gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education in both private and public institutions in 2006 was about 18 percent; the male gross enrollment ratio was 11 percent, a slight increase from the previous year, and for females it was 26 percent, a three percentage points decrease from the previous year.
Kuwait University
Kuwait University was established in 1966. It is a co-educational institution and comprises five campuses in Kuwait City. Since its inception, the number of students has increased considerably, from 400 at its inception to 19,711 in 2005/06. It offers a wide range of academic courses.
Public Authority for Applied Education and Training
The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training was established in 1982 to fill the need for a vocational and technical training institution. PAAET has two missions: PAAET is responsible for providing and developing the skills of the national labor force to meet the demands of a developing nation, and it provides training to students to have careers beyond the oil industry. The College of Basic Education in PAAET, with an enrollment of 7,132, enjoyed an increase of 26 percent from the previous year.
Other institutions
There are also a number of private post-secondary institutions in Kuwait that are accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education - Private Universities Council:
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST)
Arab Open University (AOU)
Australian College of Kuwait (ACK)
American University of Kuwait (AUK)
Kuwait-Maastricht Business School (KMBS)
Box Hill College Kuwait (BHCK)
American University of the Middle East (AUM)
American College of the Middle East (ACM)
Kuwait International Law School (KILAW)
A total of 20,537 undergraduate & post-graduate students were enrolled in the above private universities as per the first semester of academic year 2012-2013.