Schools in Eastern Region
5,241 schools across 33 districts in Eastern Region, 12.0% of every school in Ghana, against an average of 2,727 a region. 167 are senior high schools and 27% of schools with a stated owner are private. The regional capital is Koforidua. About 76% of people aged 6 and over can read and write (our calculation from Census 2021 counts).
About Eastern Region
Eastern Region lies north of Accra and runs from the Akuapem hills to the Kwahu ridge and the Afram Plains. Koforidua is the capital. The 2021 census counted 2,925,653 people, about 9.5 percent of the country, and the region has 33 municipal and district assemblies. Schools here go back a long way. The Basel Mission opened a preparatory school at Akropong in 1844, and its teacher training college followed in 1848. Aburi Girls' school grew from a mission school for girls opened in 1852. Ashesi University has its campus at Berekuso, and Koforidua Technical University and the University of Environment and Sustainable Development at Somanya are public institutions. At Akosombo on the Volta River, the dam built between 1961 and 1965 created Lake Volta. Farming still gives most people work, and cocoa, citrus, coffee and pineapple are all grown here. Odwira in September, Kwahu Easter and the Krobo festivals keep the calendar full.
How the region came about: One of the first regions at independence in 1957, formed from part of the former Crown Colony. The Accra and Ada areas were taken out of it in 1982 to form the Greater Accra Region.
What makes Eastern Region proud
- The Presbyterian College of Education at Akropong, founded in 1848, calls itself the first institution of higher learning in Ghana.
- The Aburi Botanical Gardens have been open since March 1890.
- Akosombo Dam on the Volta River created Lake Volta, which covers about 8,502 square kilometres.
- The Kwahu ridge fills with returning families and visitors every Easter, and paragliding there began in 2005.
- Krobo powder-glass beads are made and worn across the Krobo towns.
Education pride in Eastern
Founding years are shown only where the sources are reliable and agree. A school without a year here is listed without one rather than guessed.
Long-established schools by founding year
- The Presbyterian College of Education at Akropong was founded by the Basel Mission in 1848. Its own history calls it the first institution of higher learning in Ghana.
- The Presbyterian University says the Presbyterian Church opened the first primary school in the country in 1843.
- Ashesi University began teaching on 4 March 2002 and received a presidential charter in January 2018, which lets it award its own degrees.
Universities and colleges based here
- Presbyterian College of Education Akropong-Akuapem, Public college of education, since 1848
- Ashesi University Berekuso, Private not-for-profit university, since 2002
- Koforidua Technical University Koforidua, Public technical university, since 1997
- University of Environment and Sustainable Development Somanya, Public university, since 2015
- Presbyterian University, Ghana Abetifi-Kwahu, Church-founded university
Eastern in numbers
5,241 schools on the register, counted by level and owner, against the whole country.
Schools by level
- Basic schools3,087 · 59%
- Junior high schools1,138 · 22%
- Primary schools711 · 14%
- Senior high schools167 · 3%
- Kindergartens51 · 1%
- Vocational schools41 · 1%
- Nursing and midwifery training colleges12 · 0%
- Nurseries7 · 0%
- Universities3 · 0%
- Technical universities1 · 0%
Source: Ministry of Education school register, 2023/24. Basic schools combine KG, primary and JHS at one campus and are not split in the register.
Public and private
Ghana: 29.0% private. Share is of schools with a stated owner.
Literacy and learning
Literacy is our own calculation from the Census 2021 counts. Learning scores are older, and are labelled with the region as it was then.
Share of people aged 6 and over who can read and write, by region
Eastern is 75.7% against 69.8% for the 16 regions together. Highest: Greater Accra 87.9%. Lowest: Savannah 32.8%.
Our calculation from Census 2021 counts (1,912,172 literate of 2,526,584 aged 6 and over in Eastern). Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2021.
Learning figures, Eastern Region, before 2019
Source: Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, UNICEF and CDD-Ghana, 2013 to 2018. These describe the region with its boundaries before 2019, not today's.
Culture and heritage in Eastern Region
Festival months are the usual ones, and some move with the lunar calendar. Ask locally before you travel.
Festivals and their usual month
- OdwiraAkuapem towns such as Akropong and Aburi A festival of cleansing and remembrance that the Akuapem date from the victory at the Battle of Katamanso in 1826. 2026 is its 200th year as an annual state festival, according to the festival's own site.
- Kwahu Easter and Paragliding FestivalKwahu ridge towns such as Atibie, Mpraeso and Obomeng Families return to the Kwahu ridge each Easter. Paragliding was added in April 2005.
- Kloyo SikplemiYilo Krobo Remembers the eviction of the Krobo from their mountain home in 1892, with an annual climb to the ancestral site. A university study gives October or November depending on the traditional calendar.
- The Krobo are known for powder-glass beads made around Odumase-Krobo and Somanya. Beads of many kinds are worn in the dipo puberty rites for girls, which helps keep the craft busy.
- The Dipo festival of the Manya and Yilo Krobo initiates adolescent girls into womanhood.
Heritage sites
- otherAburi Botanical GardensAburi Opened in March 1890 on about 64 hectares, built around a sanatorium site from 1875.
- otherAkosombo Dam and Lake VoltaAkosombo The dam was built from 1961 to 1965 on the Volta River in the Asuogyaman District. The lake it created covers about 8,502 square kilometres.
- otherBoti and Akaa waterfalls Named among the region's natural attractions by the National Commission on Culture. The town was not given in that source.
- otherSlave market at AbonseAbonse Listed as a heritage site on the National Commission on Culture's Eastern Region page.
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The economy of Eastern Region in a line
Farming provides about two thirds of jobs in the region, with cocoa, citrus, coffee and pineapple among the crops, along with quarrying, mining and palm oil processing. The Akosombo dam supplies hydropower to the national grid.
Districts of Eastern Region
Every district, with its private share and senior high count. Schools with no district recorded are in the region total only.
| District | Schools | Private | Senior high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwahu West Municipal | 301 | 39% | 12 |
| Kwaebibirem Municipal | 286 | 26% | 5 |
| Akwapim North Municipal | 236 | 28% | 12 |
| Lower Manya Krobo Municipal | 230 | 44% | 13 |
| Yilo Krobo Municipal | 208 | 25% | 4 |
| West Akim Municipal | 201 | 10% | 3 |
| Kwahu South Municipal | 193 | 20% | 8 |
| Akwapim South Municipal | 191 | 23% | 7 |
| Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal | 189 | 57% | 4 |
| Asuogyaman | 184 | 24% | 7 |
| Akyemansa | 183 | 16% | 2 |
| Birim Central Municipal | 173 | 36% | 7 |
| Suhum Municipal | 159 | 40% | 7 |
| Ayensuano | 145 | 26% | 4 |
| Upper Manya Krobo | 138 | 16% | 0 |
| Birim North | 135 | 26% | 5 |
| Upper West Akim | 129 | 29% | 5 |
| Kwahu East | 126 | 13% | 7 |
| New Juaben South Municipal | 123 | 56% | 3 |
| Asene Manso Akroso | 106 | 27% | 2 |
| Kwahu Afram Plains South | 102 | 13% | 1 |
| Birim South | 85 | 41% | 3 |
| Atiwa West | 85 | 16% | 2 |
| Fanteakwa North | 79 | 15% | 1 |
| Kwahu Afram Plains North | 79 | 13% | 0 |
| Denkyembuor | 77 | 27% | 3 |
| Abuakwa South Municipal | 76 | 24% | 2 |
| Atiwa East | 75 | 8% | 1 |
| Abuakwa North Municipal | 72 | 38% | 4 |
| New Juaben North Municipal | 67 | 54% | 1 |
| Fanteakwa South | 61 | 21% | 0 |
| Achiase | 53 | 15% | 1 |
| Okere | 44 | 5% | 1 |
Cities and towns in Eastern Region
- Koforidua city
- Nkawkaw72
- Suhum53
- Koforidua45
- Asamankese41
- Akim Oda37
- Adaiso34
- Kade30
- Begoro27
- Nsawam27
- Aburi24
Senior high schools in Eastern Region
The first ten of 167. The full list, by district, has its own page.
| School | Level | Ownership | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abuakwa State College | Senior High | public | not stated |
| Aburi Girl's Senior High | Senior High | public | Akwapim South Municipal |
| Achiase Senior High School | Senior High | public | Birim South |
| Adjena Senior High Technical School | Senior High | public | Asuogyaman |
| Adoagyiri St. Martins Senior High School | Senior High | public | Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal |
| Adonten Senior High School | Senior High | public | Akwapim South Municipal |
| Advent Reformed Institute Senior High School | Senior High | private | Kwaebibirem Municipal |
| Advent Reformed Senior High School | Senior High | private | Kwaebibirem Municipal |
| Akim Asafo Senior High School | Senior High | public | not stated |
| Akim Commercial College | Senior High | private | not stated |
All 167 senior high schools in Eastern Region
Universities and colleges in Eastern Region
4 universities, technical universities, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions on the register carry a Eastern region. 12 nursing and midwifery training colleges are listed.
| School | Level | Ownership | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Nations University College | University | private | not stated |
| Ashesi University College | University | private | Akwapim South Municipal |
| Koforidua Technical University | Technical university | public | not stated |
| Presbyterian University College, Ghana | University | private | Kwahu East |
Search universities in Eastern Region
Schools near me in Eastern Region
Looking for schools near you, or near Eastern Region? Open the near me tool and, if you choose to share your location, it lists the closest schools to where you are. Your position is used once to work out the list and is not stored. You can pick a town instead.
Find schools near meQuestions people ask about schools in Eastern Region
- How many schools are there in Eastern Region?
- 5,241 schools across 33 districts, which is 12.0% of every school in Ghana. 167 of them are senior high schools.
- Which district in Eastern Region has the most schools?
- Kwahu West Municipal, with 301 schools.
- How do I find schools near me in Eastern Region?
- Open the schools near me page and allow your location, or choose your town. It lists the closest schools to you from the schools whose position we trust. Each district page in Eastern Region also lists its schools.
- What are the best schools in Eastern Region?
- Some of the oldest schools in Ghana are in this region. A Basel Mission preparatory school opened at Akropong in 1844, and Aburi Girls' school traces its beginnings to 1852. Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School started at Odumase-Krobo in 1938 before moving to Legon. These are facts about history, not a ranking. To compare schools by area and programme, use the SchoolRegistry directory.
- Which universities are in Eastern Region?
- Ashesi University is at Berekuso and began teaching in 2002. Koforidua Technical University became a technical university in 2016. The University of Environment and Sustainable Development at Somanya was inaugurated in August 2020, and the Presbyterian University, Ghana is at Abetifi-Kwahu.
- What is the Odwira festival?
- Odwira is the cleansing and remembrance festival of the Akuapem people, held around September at towns such as Akropong and Aburi. The Akuapem trace it to their victory at the Battle of Katamanso in 1826.