University of Dhaka

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 8 November 2026.

About the University of Dhaka

The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 at Ramna in Dhaka; its first Vice-Chancellor was Sir P. J. Hartog.^[1] It is a public research university, and the university describes itself as having 13 faculties, 83 to 84 departments, 12 to 13 institutes, 20 residential halls, 3 hostels and more than 56 research centres.^[1]

The university website lists about 37,000 regular students, about 2,000 faculty members and about 170,100 students at affiliated colleges.^[1] Wikipedia gives a different figure of 44,895 students for 2023, so student numbers depend on the source and the year.^[4]

How is the University of Dhaka ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Dhaka is placed 600th. It is the highest-ranked of the 13 Bangladeshi universities in that edition; BUET follows at 711–720, North South University at 901–950 and BRAC University at 1001–1200.^[2] TBS Graduates reports that the university secured a place among the world’s top 600 for the third consecutive year and gives an overall score of 28.3 out of the 1,504 universities ranked.^[5]

Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings. See also the Bangladesh university list.

What can you study at the University of Dhaka?

The university is organised in 13 faculties with 83 to 84 departments and 12 to 13 institutes.^[1] For international students the admission page names five levels: bachelor’s (4 years), master’s (1 year), MPhil (2 years), PhD (3 years) and DBA (4 years).^[3] The page covers levels only; individual programmes are listed under “Find a Course / Program” on the university website.^[3]

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering is one example with its own published foreign-student fee table: its bachelor’s programme requires 150 credits over 8 semesters.^[6]

How much does the University of Dhaka cost for international students?

The University of Dhaka publishes two sets of foreign-student fees, both in US dollars. Neither page names a study year, and they use different structures, so ask the university which applies to your programme.

The international admission page gives the per-year amounts above and notes that other fees are charged in addition.^[3] The CSE department page lists tuition of US$50 per credit for students from SAARC countries and US$100 per credit for students from other countries, a departmental development fee of US$100 per year for all foreign students and a separate university admission fee for which it gives no amount. Tuition, development and admission fees are paid at the start of each semester. The rates were set at the Coordination and Development Committee meeting of 25 July 2022; the page does not say whether they have changed since.^[6]

Prothom Alo reported the same US$500 and US$1,200 per year in 2019, so the university-wide figures have been published for several years.^[7] Fees for Bangladeshi students are not covered by these pages. For living costs in Dhaka, see our Bangladesh guide.

How do international students apply to the University of Dhaka?

International students do not apply to a department directly. The university describes this route:^[3]

1. Submit the application in triplicate on the prescribed form to the Ministry of Education, through a Bangladeshi diplomatic mission abroad or your country’s mission in Bangladesh.
2. The Equivalence Committee of the relevant faculty checks eligibility.
3. The academic committee of the department or institute reviews the application.
4. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) approves, and the Ministry issues a no-objection certificate.
5. You pay the fees and other charges to enrol.

All certificates and transcripts must be notarised by an authorised official of your country’s foreign ministry; otherwise the application is not considered.^[3] The page gives a cut-off date for receipt of applications at the Registrar’s office; we do not repeat deadlines because they are set by the university each year, so check the current notice. Contact for international applicants: the Office of International Affairs, oia@du.ac.bd.^[3]

The page does not give a seat quota for foreign students. Prothom Alo’s 2019 guidelines describe the same process and also report that the number of foreign students has fallen significantly over time.^[7]

Which language level do you need?

The international admission page does not state a language of instruction or a language test requirement. It says only that the faculty’s Equivalence Committee checks eligibility for the chosen programme.^[3] We therefore cannot give a required English or Bengali level. Ask the Office of International Affairs or the department in writing before you apply.

More about studying in Bangladesh

• Bangladesh: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Bangladesh

• Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
• BRAC University
• North South University
• University of Rajshahi