The state has adopted multi-pronged strategies to do better in elementary, secondary and higher secondary education. This section presents the status of education in terms of educational indicators like number of different types of schools, Enrolment in schools, Gross enrolment Ratio (GER), Average dropout rate, retention rate, schools having different facilities, availability of teachers etc. Overall literacy rate in Bihar has increased significantly from 47.53% in 2001 to 61.8 % in 2011 census, the highest literacy growth in the country. Male literacy has also increased substantially from 60.32% in 2001 to 71.2% in 2011 census. Female literacy rate had a jump from 33.57% in 2001 to 51.50 % in 2011census. As per the PLFS 2022-23 report, the literacy rate of Bihar is 74.3 % , with male literacy rate at 82.3% and female literacy rate at 66.1%.

Student enrolment in Bihar at primary and upper primary levels during 2006-07 was 151.21 lakh which increased to 207.56 lakh in 2021-22. Gross Enrolment Ratio GER of the state at the primary level has increased from 91 in 2006-07 to 99 in 2021-22 and that of the upper primary level of education has increased from 45 in 2006-07 to 83 in 2021-22. At the primary level, the dropout rate declined to zero which means presently all students are completing primary education. In the upper primary, the dropout has declined by 39.4% i.e from 42.2% in 2015-16 to 2.77% in 2022-23. At secondary level, the decline is almost similar of 40% points between 2015-16 and 2022-23.

In 11 years, the expenditure on education grew annually at the rate of 11.2%. The annual rate of growth of the revenue expenditure is 10.8% and that of capital expenditure is 21%. Schemes like Mukhya Mantri Kanya Utthan Yojana incentivize for girl child education and welfare, Mukhya- Mantri Balika Poshak Yojana benefitting 49.4 lakh students (Annual Schemes GoB 2022-23) and Benefiting 9.51 lakh students (Annual Schemes GoB 2022-23) as well as Mukhyamantri Balika / Balak Cycle Yojana to increase attendance and improve the mobility of students in higher classes. In 2022-23, Rs 285.27 crore has been distributed to 9.51 lakh students to purchase bicycles. Teachers in schools working in 2005 were 2,25,993, which has increased 161% to 5,91,457 by 2025. In 2005 Out of School Children were 12.5% which has reduced to less than 1% in 2025. Gender Parity Index has increased from 0.73 in 2005 to 1.06 in 2025 and PTR in 2005 was 65 which has reduced to 32 in 2025. The state has improved facilities in every school and developing one high school at every panchayat level. The number of classrooms in schools in Bihar has increased tremendously over the past two decades, strengthening the education system. In 2005, the state had a total of 1,43,543 classrooms. In 2025, this number increased to 3,80,498 classrooms. The student-classroom ratio which was 92:1 in 2005 has now become 35:1 after large scale construction of infrastructure.