Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
বাংলাদেশ প্রকৌশল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়
Bangladesh's pioneer engineering university in central Dhaka, filling about 1,300 places a year by written exam.
- Students
- 10,000
- Founded
- 1876
- QS World Ranking
- 711-720
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Urban
- 83.9 acres (34 ha)
About BUET
BUET traces its history to the Dhaka Survey School, founded in 1876. It became an engineering college in 1947 (the Ahsanullah Engineering College) and gained independent university status in 1962, first as the East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology. Today it is Bangladesh's pioneer and best-known engineering university, on a compact 83.9-acre campus in the heart of Dhaka.
Teaching and research are organised into 18 departments under five faculties: Architecture and Planning, Civil Engineering, Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, plus six research institutes. Undergraduates take four-year B.Sc. Engineering degrees in fields such as computer science, electrical and electronic, civil, mechanical, chemical, naval architecture and biomedical engineering, a five-year Bachelor of Architecture or a four-year Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning. There is also a large postgraduate programme of M.Sc., M.Engg., M.Phil. and PhD degrees.
BUET reports more than 600 faculty and over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Entry is through a single written admission test open only to top-scoring HSC or A-level students, making it the natural target for Bangladesh's strongest science students; a small number of seats are reserved for foreign nationals.
Why students choose BUET
The best-known engineering degree in Bangladesh, with alumni who shaped the country's infrastructure and architecture, such as Jamilur Reza Choudhury and Marina Tabassum.
A merit-only admission test: for 2025-26, 1,305 undergraduate places across 13 departments were filled from the top 10,000 eligible applicants.
Foreign postgraduate students get tuition waived, accommodation and a BUET fellowship of BDT 30,000 a month.
Residential halls in a green, walkable campus in central Dhaka, with most rooms shared by four students.
Admissions
2026-27 academic session (details shown are from the 2025-26 session)
Selectivity
BUET does not publish an acceptance rate. For 2025-26, only the top 10,000 eligible Bangladeshi applicants (ranked by HSC marks in higher mathematics, physics and chemistry), plus up to 300 GCE A-level candidates, could sit the written test for 1,305 undergraduate places.
Typical entry requirements
| Bangladeshi HSC (science) | SSC GPA of at least 4.00 and HSC GP 5.00 in each of higher mathematics, physics and chemistry; then rank among the top 10,000 applicants to sit the test |
|---|---|
| GCE O and A levels | O level: at least B in five subjects including mathematics, physics, chemistry and English; A level: at least two As and one B in mathematics, physics and chemistry; up to 300 A-level candidates admitted to the test |
| Foreign nationals (studied abroad) | HSC or equivalent with at least A grade or 70% in mathematics, physics, chemistry and English, or A in each of A-level mathematics, physics and chemistry; IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 60 for non-GCE applicants |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 60 For foreign applicants with SSC/HSC-type (non-GCE) qualifications: IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 60. Teaching is in English. |
Deadlines
- Admit card download and department option form, 2025-26 (reference) Non-binding Passed10 January 2026, 8:00
Previous session; the written admission test followed.
- Foreign national applications reaching BUET, 2025-26 session (reference) Non-binding Passed22 February 2026
Previous session; applications must come through government channels, so apply well ahead.
These are 2025-26 session dates. The 2026-27 undergraduate admission circular had not been published on the pages checked.
How to apply
Bangladeshi and GCE applicants apply online through the BUET undergraduate admission website, pay the application fee by mobile or online banking, download an admit card and fill in a departmental option form, then sit the written test. Foreign nationals apply through their own country's foreign ministry, which forwards the application via Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education to BUET's Registrar.
What admissions looks for
- Top HSC grades in higher mathematics, physics and chemistry, which decide who may sit the test.
- A high score in the written test, which alone ranks candidates for departments.
- For architecture, drawing ability and visual-spatial reasoning (minimum 160 in Module B).
- For foreign applicants, strong grades in mathematics, physics, chemistry and English.
Tips for applying to BUET
- 1 Prepare for the HSC syllabus in mathematics, physics and chemistry: the test uses it directly.
- 2 Fill in the department option form carefully when downloading your admit card; it can be changed only a few times.
- 3 Foreign applicants cannot apply directly to BUET; start the government-to-government process months before the deadline.
- 4 Only 26 undergraduate seats are available to foreign students each year, with at most 10 per country and 5 per department.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 · figures in BDT
Foreign undergraduates from non-SAARC countries pay a US$200 admission fee and US$50 per credit hour as course registration fee, with other fees the same as for local students; SAARC students pay as set by Bangladeshi government regulations. Foreign postgraduate students have tuition waived, receive accommodation and a BUET fellowship of BDT 30,000 a month, and two foreign M.Sc. students get the BUET Batch 85 Fellowship (BDT 30,000 a month for 12 months).
- US$200 admission fee plus US$50 per credit hour
- Non-SAARC foreign undergraduates (fees in US dollars or the taka equivalent; other fees as for local students)
- BDT 30,000 per month, tuition waived, accommodation provided
- Foreign postgraduate fellowship
Academics
Academic calendar: Level and term system (e.g. Level-1 Term-1)
B.Sc. Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering
180 places in 2025-26, among the most sought-after seats in the admission test.
B.Sc. Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
195 places in 2025-26, one of the two largest departments.
B.Sc. Engineering in Civil Engineering
195 places; the discipline of alumni such as Jamilur Reza Choudhury and Fazlur Rahman Khan.
Bachelor of Architecture
A five-year degree with 60 places, admitted with a drawing and visual-spatial test; architect Marina Tabassum is a graduate.
B.Sc. Engineering in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
55 places in a department serving Bangladesh's shipbuilding and river transport sectors.
B.Sc. Engineering in Biomedical Engineering
50 places; requires strong biology grades as well as physics, chemistry and mathematics.
Research
- BUET has six university-led research institutes alongside its 18 departments.
- Faculty provide expert services to major national infrastructure projects and help shape government policy, according to the university.
- It offers PhD degrees in 19 fields, from nanomaterials and ceramic engineering to water resources development and urban and regional planning.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Architecture and Planning
- Faculty of Civil Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Student life
BUET's residential halls sit in a green, tree-shaded part of central Dhaka and are connected by walkways; most rooms are shared by four students, and every student is attached to a hall even without a seat, which issues the ID card for library, internet and medical services. Halls include Ahsanullah, Chattri (for women), Dr. M. A. Rashid, Nazrul Islam, Sher-e-Bangla, Shahid Smriti, Suhrawardy and Titumir. The campus has a playground used for annual athletics, tennis, basketball and squash courts and a gymnasium, and students run clubs, debating and drama.
- Residential halls including Chattri Hall for women, with about 3,370 seats in total.
- Inter-hall and central sports competitions and annual athletics.
- Debating, drama and club activities organised through the Directorate of Students' Welfare.
- An on-campus medical centre.
Housing. Students are attached to residential halls; most hall rooms house four students, and seats are allotted by the halls' provosts.
Location
BUET sits in the heart of Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh and one of the most populous cities in the world. The compact 83.9-acre campus, with its halls set among dense greenery and linked by walkways, is a quiet contrast with the crowded, fast-moving city around it.
Nearest airport: Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka (DAC)
Notable alumni
- FR Fazlur Rahman KhanStructural engineer of the Sears (Willis) Tower and pioneer of tubular skyscraper design; civil engineering degree from Ahsanullah Engineering College
- JR Jamilur Reza ChoudhuryCivil engineer, academic and former adviser in Bangladesh's caretaker government; B.Sc. in civil engineering
- AK A. K. M. Fazle HussainFluid dynamics and turbulence researcher, professor at Texas Tech University; B.S. in mechanical engineering (1963)
- SM Syed Mainul HossainArchitect of the National Martyrs' Memorial of Bangladesh; architecture graduate
- MT Marina TabassumAga Khan Award-winning architect; architecture graduate
- HH Hasanul Haq InuPolitician and former Information Minister of Bangladesh; chemical engineering graduate of the East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology
Frequently asked questions
How do I get admission to BUET?
Bangladeshi students need SSC GPA 4.00 and HSC GP 5.00 in higher mathematics, physics and chemistry to be considered; the top 10,000 applicants (plus up to 300 A-level candidates) sit a written test, and 1,305 places were filled by merit for 2025-26.
What is the BUET admission test like?
For engineering and URP it covers higher mathematics, physics and chemistry (600 marks, 3 hours). Architecture candidates also take a freehand drawing and visual-spatial intelligence module (400 marks).
Can foreign students study at BUET?
Yes. Up to 26 undergraduate seats a year go to foreign nationals, who apply through their own foreign ministry and Bangladesh's government channels. Non-SAARC students pay a US$200 admission fee and US$50 per credit hour.
Does BUET offer scholarships to international postgraduates?
Yes. Foreign postgraduate students have tuition waived, get accommodation and receive a BUET fellowship of BDT 30,000 a month.
What is BUET's QS ranking?
BUET is in the 711-720 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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