Lower education in Zambia is divided into three levels and these are namely: primary, junior secondary and upper secondary. Higher education in Zambia has improved in the recent years due to the increase of private universities and colleges. The biggest university is the public University of Zambia which is located in the capital city of Lusaka along the Great East Road and hosts a number of local and international students. The Copperbelt University is the second largest public university and is located in the Copperbelt province of Zambia in Kitwe, and the youngest public university is Mulungushi University, with its main campus 26 km north of Kabwe. There are many other smaller universities, both public and private including the following: Texila American University, Zambia Open University, European University Zambia Zambia Catholic University, Cavendish University, Zambia Adventist University, Northrise University, University of Lusaka, Lusaka Apex Medical University, Woodlands University College, Copperstone University College, University of Barotseland, University of Africa, Information and Communication University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Education, Chalimbana University, Rusangu University, Robert Makasa University, Zambia Centre of Accountancy Studies and there are various Health training Institutes offering Diplomas in clinical medicine.

Primary Education in Zambia is the foundation of every one who gets into school, going from grade 1 – 7 with students then expected to pass the exams set by the Examination Council of Zambia at the end of the grade 7 school year. Primary schools are spread in all parts of the country. Zambia has close to 110 Districts. Primary schools are owned by the government, the private sector and communities. Teachers work there voluntarily or for small stipends, unless these schools are sponsored by charities. Some community schools charge significant fees and resemble low-end private schools, but most are very cheap and cater to pupils for whom the local government school is too far away or imposes unaffordable costs such as uniforms.

With the exception of a few top private schools, Zambian schools are chronically under-resourced and educational standards extremely low.

Schooling falls into the following levels:

Upon completion of primary school, you can hopefully get directly into a secondary school (Secondary schools offer education from grade 8–12)- unfortunately there are areas in Zambia that have no secondary schools. Efforts have been made and they have basic schools. Traditionally, grades 8–9 were part of Basic school. This allowed pupils unable to access secondary school to continue their schooling up to Grade 9, and provides primary schools with additional income (as government schools are allowed to charge fees to Gardes 8 and 9). In rural areas some pupils move long distances to access primary education and this has been a disadvantage in the fight to educating the future generation.

The Education system in Zambia is that of four levels:

In Zambia, there are three government universities and several technical schools that provide higher education. The Ministry of Science Technology and Vocational Training (MSTVT) in Zambia was also developed in 1992 to foster growth in technological fields. Educational opportunities beyond secondary school are limited in Zambia. After secondary school, students mostly study at the various colleges around the country. Normally they all select students on the basis of ability; competition for places is intense.

The introduction of fees in the late 1990s has made university level education inaccessible for some, although the government does theoretically provide state bursaries. Copperbelt University opened in the late 1980s, taking over most of the former Zambia Institute of Technology site in Kitwe. There are also several teacher training colleges offering two-year training programmes, while mission hospitals around the country offer internationally acceptable training for nurses. Several Christian schools offer seminary-level training.