List of universities in Nepal

Formal higher learning in Nepal began with the establishment of Tri-Chandra College in 1918, Nepal's first college. Until 1985,Tribhuvan University was its first and only university. The second university to be founded was Nepal Sanskrit University, which was soon followed by Kathmandu University in 1990, and Purbanchal and Pokhara Universities in 1995 and 1996, respectively.

Federal Universities

Federal universities in Nepal are public institutions established and funded by the central government, operating with a national mandate to provide higher education across various disciplines.

The following table lists the sixteenth Federal universities as of 2025, including key details verified from official sources:

No. University[1] Acronym Established Location Province Constituent Campus Student Enrollment Ph.D. granting Website
General
1. Tribhuvan University

(Nepali: त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालय)

TU 1959 Kathmandu (Kirtipur) Bagmati 62 322,540 Yes link
2. Kathmandu University

(Nepali: काठमाडौँ विश्वविद्यालय)

KU 1991 Dhulikhel Bagmati 9 21000 Yes link
3. Purbanchal University

(Nepali: पूर्वाञ्चल विश्वविद्यालय)

PU 1993 Sundar Haraicha(Gothgaun) Koshi 7 30,128 Yes link
4. Pokhara University

(Nepali: पोखरा विश्वविद्यालय)

PoU 1997 Pokhara Gandaki 4 35240 Yes link
5. Sudurpaschim University

(Nepali: सुदूरपश्चिम विश्वविद्यालय)

SPU or FWU 2010 Bhimdatta (Mahendranagar) Sudurpashchim 15[2] 17268 No link
6. Madhyapaschim University

(Nepali: मध्यपश्चिम विश्वविद्यालय)

MU 2010 Birendranagar Karnali 15[3] 13000 Yes link
7. Rajarshi Janak University

(Nepali: राजर्षि जनक विश्वविद्यालय)

RJU 2017 Janakpur Madhesh 4 750 No link
8. University of Nepal[4][5][6][7][8]

(Nepali: ne:नेपाल विश्वविद्यालय)

UoN 2024 Gaindakot Gandaki 0 0 link
Off-campus
9. Nepal Open University

(Nepali: नेपाल खुला विश्वविद्यालय)

NOU 2016 Lalitpur Bagmati 1 593 Yes link
Agricultural and Foresty
10. Agriculture and Forestry University

(Nepali: कृषि तथा वन विश्वविद्यालय)

AFU 2010 Bharatpur (Rampur) Bagmati 8 1,978 Yes link
Science and technology
11. Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology[9]

(Nepali: मदन भण्डारी विज्ञान तथा प्रविधि विश्वविद्यालय)

MBUST 2022 Makwanpur (Chitlang) Bagmati 0 0 Yes link
Sanskrit
12. Nepal Sanskrit University

(Nepali: नेपाल संस्कृत विश्वविद्यालय)

NSU 1986 Dang (Beljhundi) Lumbini 14 3,742 Yes link
Buddhist
13. Lumbini Bouddha University

(Nepali: लुम्बिनी बौद्ध विश्वविद्यालय)

LBU 2004 Rupandehi Lumbini 3 2050 Yes link
Medical
14. Martyr Dashrath Chand Health Science University[10]

(Nepali: शहीद दशरथ चन्द स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान विश्वविद्यालय)

MDCHSU 2026 A.D. (2082 B.S.) Godawari-05, Geta, Kailali Sudurpashchim 1 0 link
15. Yogamaya Ayurveda University

(Nepali: योगमाया आयुर्वेद विश्वविद्यालय)

YAU 2025 Arun Valley, Sankhuwasabha Koshi Province 0 0 link
Defence/Military
16. National Defense University (Nepali: राष्ट्रिय रक्षा विश्वविद्यालय) NDU Purposed Banepa (Samga) Bagmati

Provincial universities

Provincial universities in Nepal emerged following the promulgation of the 2015 Constitution, which empowered provincial governments to establish higher education institutions tailored to regional development needs, such as technical skills, agriculture, and local governance. These universities receive primary funding from provincial budgets, supplemented by minimal national allocations, enabling them to focus on addressing localized educational gaps amid Nepal's federal restructuring. As of 2025, six provincial universities operate, all founded since 2019, marking a rapid expansion in decentralized higher education; however, operational challenges persist for recently established ones, including limited infrastructure and enrollment. None of these institutions currently hold PhD-granting authority, prioritizing undergraduate and emerging graduate programs instead.

The following table lists the six Provincial universities as of 2025, including key details verified from official sources:

No. University[1] Acronym Established Location Province Constituent Campus Student Enrollment Ph.D. granting Website
1. Manmohan Technical University

(Nepali: मनमोहन प्राविधिक विश्वविद्यालय)

MTU 2019 Morang (Budiganga) Koshi 0 576 No link
2. Gandaki University

(Nepali: गण्डकी विश्वविद्यालय)

GU 2019 Pokhara Gandaki No link
3. Madhesh Agriculture University

(Nepali: मधेश कृषि विश्वविद्यालय)

MAU 2021 Saptari (Rajbiraj) Madhesh No link
4. Madhesh University[11][12]

(Nepali: मधेश विश्वविद्यालय)

MU 2022 Birgunj Madhesh No link
5. Lumbini Technological University[13]

(Nepali: लुम्बिनी प्राविधिक विश्वविद्यालय)

LTU 2022 Banke (Khajura) Lumbini No link
6. Bagmati University

(Nepali: बागमती प्रदेश विश्वविद्यालय)

BU 2024 Hetauda Bagmati No link

Autonomous Medical Institute

The following table lists the nine autonomous medical institutes as of 2025, including key details verified from official sources:

No. University[1] Acronym Established Location Province Constituent Campus Student Enrollment Ph.D. granting Website
1. National Academy of Medical Sciences (Nepali: चिकित्सा विज्ञान राष्ट्रिय प्रतिष्ठान) NAMS 1993 Kathmandu (Mahaboudha) Bagmati No link
2. B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Nepali: वी.पी. कोइराला स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) BPKIHS 1998 Dharan Koshi Yes link
3. Patan Academy of Health Sciences (Nepali: पाटन स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) PAHS 2008 Patan Bagmati No link
4. Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences (Nepali: नेपाली सेना स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) NAIHS 2010 Kathmandu Bagmati No link
5. Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (Nepali: कर्णाली स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) KAHS 2011 Jumla Karnali No link
6. Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences (Nepali: पोखरा स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) PoAHS 2016 Pokhara Gandaki No link
7. Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (Nepali: राप्ती स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) RAHS 2017 Ghorahi Lumbini No link
8. Madan Bhandari Academy of Health Sciences (Nepali: मदन भण्डारी स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) MBAHS 2018 Hetauda Bagmati No link
9. Madhesh Institute of Health Sciences (Nepali: मधेस स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान) MIHS 2021 Janakpur Madhesh No link

Universities by state and type

The table below is correct as of 20 February 2025.

State Central
universities
Province
universities
Deemed
universities
Private
universities
Total
Koshi Province (list) 1 1 1 3
Madhesh Province (list) 1 2 1 4
Bagmati Province (list) 5 1 3 9
Gandaki Province (list) 2 1 1 4
Lumbini Province (list) 2 1 1 4
Karnali Province (list) 1 0 1 2
Sudurpashchim Province (list) 2 0 0 2
Total 14 6 8 28

Proposed University

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "University Grants Commission Nepal". www.ugcnepal.edu.np.
  2. ^ "Page | FWU - Multi Campus Management Information System". www.fwu.edu.np. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  3. ^ "Campuses – MID-WEST UNIVERSITY". Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  4. ^ "University of Nepal Development Board". 20 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  5. ^ "Deck cleared to set up University of Nepal". 11 September 2024. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  6. ^ "Dr Arjun Karki appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Nepal University". myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com. 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
  7. ^ "नेपाल विश्वविद्यालयको उपकुलपतिमा कार्की र रजिस्ट्रारमा आचार्य". ekantipur.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2025-05-04.
  8. ^ "नेपाल विश्वविद्यालयको औपचारिक घोषणा". www.ratopati.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2025-05-04.
  9. ^ "MBUST -Madan Bhandari University". 20 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  10. ^ "Geta Medical College Conversion into University Secured Through New Bill Passage". 15 October 2023. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  11. ^ "Madhesh University". 20 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  12. ^ "Madhesh University Act, 2079". mowcys.p2.gov.np.
  13. ^ "Lumbini Technological University". 20 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  14. ^ "Mountain University Planned In Karnali".
  15. ^ https://tilapress.com/?p=3866
  16. ^ "Bill to make Tilganga Eye Hospital a University". ekantipur.com.
  17. ^ https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/66639#:~:text=Tilganga%20Eye%20University%20Bill%20sent%20to%20concerned%20committee%20for%20clause%2Dwise%20discussion,-TRN%20Online&text=Kathmandu%2C%20Aug%2012:%20The%20House,at%20the%20age%20of%2074.&text=How%20did%20you%20feel%20after%20reading%20this%20news?
  18. ^ "Shri Pashupati Hindu University will be established in Kathmandu". April 17, 2023.
  19. ^ https://www.undp.org/nepal/news/state-art-technical-university-planned-surkhet#:~:text=Technical%2Dvocational%20education%20and%20training,three%20areas%2C%22%20he%20said.
  20. ^ https://www.collegenp.com/news/education-minister-rai-prioritizes-khwopa-university-bill