The educational history of Nepal is very long. However, the history of universities in Nepal is connected with the establishment of Tribhuvan University in 2016 BS. Formal and modern education in Nepal is believed to have started after the establishment of Darbar High School in 1854 AD. Even before that there were different schools in Nepal. But that was traditional. At that time, only the people in power and strength had the right to education. After visiting Europe, Jung Bahadur saw the need for English schools in Nepal and established Darbar High School. Education in Nepal could not reach the common people for a long time due to the autocratic system of government and the fascination of power.
Universities in Nepal
At present, there are 17 universities operating at the national and provincial levels in Nepal. In which there are 11 national level and 6 provincial level. The first university in Nepal was Tribhuvan University. When Nepal was divided on the basis of development areas, the university was operated accordingly. After the implementation of federalism, universities at the provincial level have also opened in Nepal. Recently, universities of various faculties have been coming into operation in Nepal.
Universities in Nepal have made a great contribution to higher education. Universities of various faculties are operating in Nepal from east to west. Especially in Nepal, studies are conducted in the faculties of management, humanities, agriculture, forestry, technical subjects, engineering, medicine etc. Various universities have run their own campuses. Similarly, universities have also given affiliation to various private campuses. This has helped to make university education accessible to everyone.
List of National Universities in Nepal
| S.N. | University Name | Address | Establish (AD) | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tribhuvan University | Kritipur, Kathmandu | 1959 | info@tu.edu.np | https://tu.edu.np/ |
| 2 | Kathmandu University | Dhulikhel, Kavre | 1991 | info@ku.edu.np | https://ku.edu.np/ |
| 3 | Nepal Sanskrit University | Beljhundi, Dang | 1986 | info@nsu.edu.np | http://nsu.edu.np/ |
| 4 | Purbanchal University | Biratnagar, Morang | 1993 | https://puexam.edu.np/ | |
| 5 | Pokhara University | Pokhara, Kaski | 1997 | info@pu.edu.np | https://pu.edu.np/ |
| 6 | Lumbini Bouddha University | Lumbini, Rupandehi | 2004 | info@lbu.edu.np | https://lbu.edu.np/ |
| 7 | Sudurpaschim University | Bhimdatta, Kanchanpur | 2010 | info@fwu.edu.np | https://www.fwu.edu.np/ |
| 8 | Madhyapaschim University | Birendranagar, Surkhet | 2010 | INFO@MU.EDU.NP | http://www.mwu.edu.np/ |
| 9 | Agriculture and Forestry University | Rampur, Chitwan | 2010 | info@afu.edu.np | https://afu.edu.np/ |
| 10 | Nepal Open University | Man Bhawan | 2016 | info@nou.edu.np | https://nou.edu.np/ |
| 11 | Rajarshi Janak University | Janakpur, Dhanusha | 2017 | https://www.rju.edu.np/ |
List of Provincial Universities in Nepal
| S.N. | University Name | Address / Province | Establish (AD) | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manmohan Technical University | Budiganga, Morang / Koshi | 2019 | https://www.mtu.edu.np/ | info@mtu.edu.np |
| 2 | Gandaki University | Pokhara, Kaski / Gandaki | 2019 | https://www.gandakiuniversity.edu.np/ | info@gandakiuniversity.edu.np |
| 3 | Madhesh Agriculture University | Rajbiraj, Saptari / Madesh | 2021 | https://mau.edu.np/ | mau@mau.edu.np |
| 4 | Madhesh University | Birgunj, Parsa / Madesh | 2022 | http://madeshuniversity.edu.np/ | hello@mu.edu.np |
| 5 | Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology | Chitlang, Makawanpur / Bagmati | 2022 | https://www.mbust.edu.np/ | info@mbust.edu.np |
| 6 | Lumbini Technological University | Raniyapur, Banke / Limbini | 2022 | https://ltu.edu.np/ | info@ltu.edu.np |
There are currently 17 universities in Nepal, both nationally and regionally. Where there is education from the simple to the technical side. These universities have been contributing to Nepal's higher education.
Nepalese Universities Ranking in 2023
According to the report published by The World University Ranking on 27 September 2023, the No. 1 university in Nepal is Tribhuvan University. TU is ranked 1201 in the world.
Similarly, According to the report published by Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities on 31 July 2023, Kathmandu University is the No. 1 university in Nepal. KU is ranked 2833 position in the world. According to the same report, Tribhuwan University is in No. 2 in a row. TU is ranked 9078 position in the world.
According to the report published by THE Asia University Ranking on 22 June 2023, Tribhuvan University is the No. 1 Univeristy in Nepal. and, TU is in 251 position in Asia.
Reports published by various organizations like Scimago Institutions Rankings, US News: Best Global Universities, URAP World Ranking - University Ranking by Academic Performance, and THE China Subject Ratings Overall, Tribhuvan University is the number one University in Nepal.
Top Five Universities of Nepal in 2023/24
There are many organizations that check university rankings around the world. Those institutions determine their own boundaries and rank the universities around the world. Since ranking is done using different criteria, even the same university is ranked differently. We have taken the report of EduRank organization here.
According to the EduRank Organization, the ranking of top 5 universities of Nepal are given below:
| University Name | National Rank | Asia Rank | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tribhuvan University | 1 | 560 | 1921 |
| Kathmandu University | 2 | 1403 | 4113 |
| Pokhara University | 3 | 1966 | 5407 |
| Agriculture and Forestry University | 4 | 2375 | 6340 |
| Purbanchal University | 5 | 2627 | 6871 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people ask the question regarding University in Nepal, which presents as a FAQs.
How many universities are there in Nepal?
There are currently 17 universities operating in Nepal, including 11 national and 6 provincial universities.
Which is the number one university in Nepal?
Tribhuvan University is the number one university in Nepal. It is established in 2016 BS.
