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Leading universities in Nepal.

leading universities in nepal

Aug 21st, 2025
binod raut

leading universities in Nepal

Higher education in Nepal began with the establishment of the first college, Tri-Chandra College, in 1918. Later, Tribhuvan University was founded in 1959 and remained the only university in the country until 1985. In the early 1980s, the Government introduced the idea of having multiple universities. As a result, Mahendra Sanskrit University was set up in 1986, followed by Kathmandu University in 1990, and then Purbanchal and Pokhara Universities in 1995 and 1996. All these universities were created through special Acts passed by the Parliament and are run as public institutions.

Central Universities:

  1. Tribhuvan University (TU), 1959

  2. Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU), 1986

  3. Kathmandu University (KU), 1991

  4. Purbanchal University (PU), 1994

  5. Pokhara University (PokU), 1997

  6. Lumbini Bouddha University (LBU), 2005

  7. Far-western University (2010)

  8. Mid-western University (2010)

  9. Agriculture and Forestry University (2010)

  10. Nepal Open University (2016)

  11. Rajarshi Janak University (2017)

  12. Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology (2022)

Tribhuvan University (TU)

Tribhuvan University (TU), founded in 1959 (2016 BS), is the biggest university in Nepal. It is the largest in terms of the variety of programs and courses it provides, as well as the number of students and teachers. The main office of TU is in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, and the university runs across the country through five institutes, four faculties, and four research centers.

Institutes

  1. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences (IAAS)

  2. Institute of Engineering (IoE)

  3. Institute of Forestry (IoF)

  4. Institute of Medicine (IoM)

  5. Institute of Science and Technology (IoST)

Faculties

  1. Faculty of Education

  2. Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

  3. Faculty of Law

  4. Faculty of Management

  5. Research Centers

  6. Centre for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA)

  7. Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS)

  8. Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST)

  9. Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development (CERID)

The institutes mainly focus on technical subjects and provide specialized technical courses, while the faculties offer general education courses such as management, humanities, education, engineering, medicine, law, and arts at the Bachelor, Master, M. Phil., and Ph.D. levels.

Among all the universities in Nepal, TU has the largest share, with more than 87% of the total students enrolled in higher education. At present, TU has 335,126 students studying in 1,140 campuses (60 are its own constituent campuses and 1,080 are affiliated campuses), with 7,592 teachers.

Kathmandu University (KU)

Kathmandu University (KU), established in 1991, is located in Dhulikhel, a well-known tourist spot in Kavre district. At present, it has 17,942 students and runs 23 campuses (9 of its own and 14 affiliated). The university has 388 full-time teachers, 82 visiting teachers, and 181 administrative and support staff. KU offers 106 different programs in areas like science, engineering, management, fine arts, education, and medicine, ranging from bachelor’s degrees to M.Phil. and Ph.D. levels.

Purbanchal University (PU)

Purbanchal University (PU), founded in 1994, is located in Biratnagar, the second largest city of Nepal, in Morang district. The university has 26,128 students and runs 116 campuses (5 of its own and 111 affiliated). It has 74 teachers and 296 administrative and support staff. PU offers 56 different programs in subjects like science, law, engineering, management, fine arts, and education.

Pokhara University (PokU)

Pokhara University (PokU), established in 1997, is located in Pokhara, one of Nepal’s most popular tourist destinations, in Kaski district. The university has 29,419 students and operates 62 campuses (4 of its own and 58 affiliated). It has 133 teachers and 177 administrative and technical staff. PokU offers 41 programs in subjects like humanities, management, science and technology, engineering, and medicine.

Lumbini Bouddha University (LBU)

Lumbini Bouddha University (LBU), founded in 2005, is located in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, in Rupandehi district. The university was mainly established to teach and study the teachings and philosophies of Gautam Buddha. At present, LBU has 6 campuses (1 of its own and 5 private), with 705 students and 23 teachers.

Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU)

Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) was established in 2010 in Rampur, Chitwan, and it is the first technical university in Nepal. It was created by merging Rampur Campus of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) and the Forestry Campus in Hetauda, which was part of Tribhuvan University’s Institute of Forestry. AFU offers various programs in agriculture and forestry, from bachelor’s degrees to PhDs. The university currently has 1,978 students, 8 campuses of its own, and 122 teachers.

Mid-Western University (MWU)

Mid-Western University (MWU), founded in 2010, is located in Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet, Nepal. The university has 3,224 students and runs 16 campuses (15 of its own and 1 private) with 128 teachers. MWU has 6 faculties that offer a total of 50 programs in subjects like humanities and social sciences, science and technology, education, and management.

Far-Western University (FWU)

Far-Western University, founded in 2010, is located in Bhimdatta Municipality, Kanchanpur district. The university offers bachelor’s and master’s programs in education, humanities and social sciences, science and technology, engineering, and management. At present, FWU has 3,686 students, 15 campuses of its own, and 109 teachers.

Nepal Open University (NOU)

Nepal Open University (NOU) was established in 2016 with the aim of expanding the access of higher education to mass people who are deprived of access to conventional higher/tertiary education. Its central office is currently located in Lalitpur district of Kathmandu valley. NoU is running different programs in distance online learning mode with 593 students.

Rajarshi Janak University (RJU)

Rajarshi Janak University (RJU) was established in 2017 in Janakpur, a city known for its religious and historical significance in the Central Tarai region of Nepal. The university offers bachelor’s and master’s programs in science and technology, humanities and social sciences, and management. Currently, it has only one main campus with 81 students.

Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU)

Formerly called Mahendra Sanskrit University, it was established in 1986 (2043 BS). NSU focuses on modernizing Sanskrit education in Nepal. Its main office is in Beljhundi, Dang, and the university has 3,742 students studying in 18 campuses (14 of its own and 4 affiliated). There are 484 teachers and 376 administrative staff. NSU offers 8 different programs at various levels, including courses in Uttarmadhyama (Sanskrit), Shastree (Sanskrit), Kabiraj (Intermediate in Ayurved), Bachelor in Ayurved, Aacharya (Sanskrit), Ph.D. (Sanskrit), Language Training, and Yoga Training related to Sanskrit.

Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology (MBUST)

Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology (MBUST) was established on August 3, 2022, through the Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology Act, 2079 (2022 AD). This law gives the university a lot of independence, allowing it to grow into a research-focused, world-class university. MBUST aims to contribute directly to Nepal’s economic development by creating new knowledge and technology, helping to make the country’s economy more competitive.