New Students Waitlisted Until 2032, SD Muhammadiyah Sapen Jogja Expands Capacity
The Muhammadiyah Central Board (PP Muhammadiyah) has constructed a new building for the Muhammadiyah Sapen Universal School (MSUS) in Kasihan, Bantul, as an expansion of SD Muhammadiyah Sapen. The new facility is expected to reduce the long waiting lists for new students at the primary school, which is already fully booked until 2032.
“Today, we inaugurated the Muhammadiyah Sapen Universal School building as an extension of SD Muhammadiyah Sapen,” said the General Chairman of PP Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nashir, to reporters in Kasihan, Bantul, on Saturday (4/7/2026).
Haedar continued that SD Muhammadiyah Sapen is one of the best primary schools in Indonesia. This reputation has led to such high demand that prospective students must wait in queues for several years to secure a place.
“Since the public interest cannot be met at our existing East Sapen location, we are expanding here. Through this, Muhammadiyah aims to provide education for all,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Muhammulating Regional Leadership (PWM) of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), Muh. Ikhwan Ahada, added that MSUS currently features six floors with an area of 4,947 m2, situated on an 8,800 m2 plot of land.
Furthermore, the first teaching sessions at MSUS are planned to commence in the 2026/2027 academic year, starting on 13 July 2026. In its initial operational phase, MSUS will open two study groups, specifically for Year 1 and Year 3, each consisting of two parallel classes.
“Moving forward, the school aims to have two parallel classes for every level from Year 1 to Year 6, totaling 12 study groups with a capacity of 28 students per class. Thus, the target student population will reach 336 students,” he said.
According to Nofita Saraswati, an administrator at SD Muhammadiyah Sapen, registration queues for the 2027 to 2032 academic years are already full. Even for the 2033 academic year, some registrations have already begun.
“The queues for the 2027 to 2032 academic years were filled as of yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, 27 January 2026). The pre-order system is now full,” she said when met in the administration room on Wednesday (28/1/2025).
“For 2033, there are already three children registered, even though the window for the 2032 academic year only closed yesterday afternoon,” she added.
Nofita explained that parents typically choose SD Muhammadiyah Sapen based on the academic achievements of its students and graduates, as well as the school’s curriculum, character education, and disciplined religious instruction.
“Parents usually enquire about the curriculum, teaching methods, costs, and extracurricular activities, comparing these with other schools,” she noted.
SD Muhammadiyah Sapen in Yogyakarta frequently gains social media attention due to its multi-year waiting lists. The demand is so high that some parents complete the registration process while their children are still infants.
SD Muhammadiyah Sapen is a leading school located on Jalan Bimo Kurdo No 33, Demangan, Yogyakarta. Beyond its academic excellence, it is famous for the exceptionally long waiting period required to secure enrolment.
While most primary schools open registration for the upcoming academic year, SD Muhammadiyah Sapen is already ‘open’ for six to seven years in advance because the immediate years are already fully booked via the ‘inden’ or pre-order system.
Nofita Saraswati shared an instance where a father registered his newborn baby for the 2032 academic year.
“There was a recent birth; the mother was still in the hospital, but the father came to the school. Fortunately, he secured a spot in the 2032 queue,” she revealed.