Education is a major priority for the Indonesian government, which is constitutionally mandated to allocate 20% of the national budget to the sector. The system is bifurcated into secular public schools overseen by the Ministry of Education, and religious (mostly Islamic) schools, or *madrasahs*, managed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Basic education entails 9 to 12 years of compulsory schooling.
Indonesia is home to thousands of higher education institutions, ranging from community academies to prestigious, world-ranking universities. Notable institutions include: - **Universitas Indonesia (UI):** Located in Depok/Jakarta, consistently ranked as one of the nation's premier universities. - **Gadjah Mada University (UGM):** Located in the cultural capital of Yogyakarta, known for its massive campus and political influence. - **Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB):** The country's top engineering and technology university. - **Bogor Agricultural University (IPB):** A global leader in tropical agriculture and forestry research. - **Airlangga University (UNAIR):** A leading institution in Surabaya with excellent medical and science faculties.