Universities and Colleges in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has over 70 private universities and public-funded universities – which have flourished since the liberalisation of the sector in the 1990s. The country’s biggest universities are found in Dhaka and Chittagong. Following the Private University Act of 1992, private universities were introduced and now outnumber public universities by more than two to one. The University Grants Commission of Bangladesh is the regulatory board for all universities.

The main public universities are University of Dhaka (established in 1921); University of Rajshahi (1954); Bangladesh Agricultural University (1961, located at Mymensingh); University of Chittagong (1966); and University of Jahangirnagar (1970, at Savar, Dhaka). There are also several private universities in Dhaka, including North–South University and Independent University. The Bangladesh Open University provides distance learning for a wide range of students at secondary and tertiary levels. The female–male ratio for gross enrolment in tertiary education is 0.61:1 (2009). Literacy among people aged 15–24 is 77% (2010).