University of Dhaka
ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়
Bangladesh's oldest university, where a single unit admission test decides who gets a place.
- Students
- 37,018
- Tuition
- $500
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1921
- QS World Ranking
- #600
- 2027 edition
About DU
The University of Dhaka opened on 1 July 1921 in the Ramna area of Dhaka with three faculties, 12 departments, 60 teachers and three residence halls. It is Bangladesh's oldest university and remains its flagship public institution: today it has 13 faculties, 83 departments, 13 institutes and 56 research centres and bureaus, with 37,018 students and 1,992 teachers on its own campus, plus more than 45,000 students in its constituent colleges.
Its students and teachers were at the centre of the 1952 Language Movement, and the university played a major part in the events that led to Bangladesh's independence in 1971. That history still shapes campus life, which is organised around residential halls named after national figures.
Getting in is decided almost entirely by a competitive admission test. Bangladeshi applicants sit one of five unit exams (Science; Arts, Law and Social Science; Business Studies; Fine Arts; and the Institute of Business Administration), and their merit position decides which department they can join. Foreign nationals follow a separate, government-mediated route with fees in US dollars. DU suits students who want a large, historic, low-cost public university in the middle of the capital and are ready to prepare seriously for one high-stakes exam.
শিক্ষাই আলো
“Education is light” — university motto
Why students choose DU
It ranks joint 600th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, the highest of any Bangladeshi university in that table.
Admission runs through five subject units, so one well-prepared test can open departments ranging from physics to law to fine art.
The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) runs its own admission unit with a two-hour test followed by a communication test for its BBA.
International tuition is published at US$500 a year for SAARC citizens and US$1,200 a year for other nationals, plus other fees.
Admissions
2026-27 academic session (entry in 2027); 2025-26 session details shown for reference
Selectivity
DU does not publish an overall acceptance rate. Bangladeshi applicants are ranked by their score in a unit-based admission test with minimum GPA thresholds; places are allocated by merit, with 5% of seats for children of freedom fighters and 1% each for ethnic minority, Harijan and Dalit, and disabled candidates.
Typical entry requirements
| SSC and HSC (Bangladesh) | For the 2025-26 session: SSC passed in 2020-2023 and HSC in 2025, meeting the unit GPA minimum, then ranked by admission test score |
|---|---|
| IGCSE/O Level and IAL/GCE A Level | At least 5 O Level subjects and 2 A Level subjects (Mathematics compulsory at O Level for IBA); across the 7 subjects at least 4 at grade B and 3 at grade C, with online equivalence approval before sitting the test |
| Foreign nationals | Eligibility checked by the Equivalence Committee of the relevant faculty, then approved by the department and the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) |
Deadlines
- Undergraduate admission application, 2025-26 session (past) Non-binding Passed19 November 2025, 11:59 PM
Applications opened 29 October 2025. This date has passed; 2026-27 session dates are not yet published.
- IBA unit admission test, 2025-26 (past) Non-binding Passed28 November 2025
10:00 AM to 12:00 noon, held only in Dhaka.
- Fine Arts unit test, 2025-26 (past) Non-binding Passed29 November 2025
General knowledge and drawing, held only in Dhaka.
- Business Studies unit test, 2025-26 (past) Non-binding Passed6 December 2025
- Arts, Law and Social Science unit test, 2025-26 (past) Non-binding Passed13 December 2025
- Science unit test, 2025-26 (past) Non-binding Passed27 December 2025
Rescheduled from 20 December 2025.
All dates shown are from the 2025-26 session and have passed. DU published the 2025-26 admission notice on 29 October 2025; dates for the 2026-27 session had not been published by late September 2026. For foreign nationals, the completed admission paperwork should reach the Registrar's office by 31 December of the year of application.
How to apply
Bangladeshi and equivalent-qualification applicants apply online at admission.eis.du.ac.bd (fee Tk 1,050; Tk 1,250 for Fine Arts; Tk 1,500 for IBA), choose a unit and the language of the question paper, then sit the unit test; successful candidates submit a subject preference form and attend interviews. Foreign nationals apply through the Office of International Affairs: submit the online form with transcripts, photo and passport details; the faculty checks eligibility, the department issues an offer letter and OIA a visa-support letter, and OIA completes clearances with the Ministries of Education, Home and Foreign Affairs.
What admissions looks for
- A strong score in the unit admission test, which decides merit position and therefore which department you can join.
- Secondary and higher-secondary results above each unit's GPA minimum (for example a combined 8.0 for the Science unit and IBA).
- For Fine Arts, drawing ability, tested in a 60-minute drawing exam alongside general knowledge.
- For foreign nationals, qualifications the faculty's equivalence committee accepts as equal to the Bangladeshi HSC.
Tips for applying to DU
- 1 Watch admission.eis.du.ac.bd from late October: the 2025-26 application window lasted only about three weeks.
- 2 If you have O and A Levels or another foreign qualification, complete the online equivalence registration first; you need an Equivalence ID before you can apply for the test.
- 3 Practise both sections: in 2025-26 the Science, Business Studies and Arts, Law and Social Science tests each had 60 MCQ marks and 40 written marks (45 minutes each), while Fine Arts had 40 marks of general knowledge and 60 of drawing.
- 4 IBA hopefuls should also prepare for the communication test that follows the written BBA test.
- 5 Foreign applicants should contact the Office of International Affairs early, because ministry clearances add time.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
DU administers scholarships through its departments and trust funds (327 trust funds are listed on its glance page), and Bangladeshi students can apply for government scholarships through the university's online portal. There is no published scholarship scheme for international undergraduates.
- Tk 1,050; Tk 1,250 for Fine Arts; Tk 1,500 for IBA
- Application fee (Bangladeshi applicants, 2025-26)
- 327
- University trust funds
Academics
Academic calendar: Academic calendars are set by each faculty and department; DU's international undergraduate session runs January to December.
BBA, Institute of Business Administration
Admitted through its own IBA unit: a two-hour test (90 MCQ marks plus 30 written marks in 2025-26), then a communication test and waiting-list rounds.
Economics
Part of DU since 1921; Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus took his BA and MA in the department.
Fine Art
The Fine Arts unit covers drawing and painting, graphic design, printmaking, oriental art, ceramics, sculpture, crafts and art history, with a drawing test for entry.
Business Studies
One unit test feeds nine departments, from Accounting and Finance to Tourism and Hospitality Management and Organization Strategy and Leadership.
Law
One of the three original faculties of 1921; Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Tajuddin Ahmad both studied law at DU.
Research
- DU lists 56 research centres and bureaus, including the Bureau of Economic Research and the Bose Centre for Advanced Study and Research in Natural Sciences.
- Ten DU faculty members were named in the 2024 Stanford/Elsevier list of the top 2% of scientists.
- The university has 1,201 PhD researchers and 1,956 MPhil researchers on its rolls.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Business Studies
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Biological Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology
- Faculty of Fine Art
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Medicine
Student life
DU is residential in the traditional South Asian sense: students are attached to one of 20 residential halls or three hostels, from Salimullah Muslim Hall and Jagannath Hall, which opened with the university in 1921, to women's halls such as Ruqayyah Hall and Shamsun Nahar Hall and the Sir P.J. Hartog International Hall. The halls are the base for sport, culture and student politics. The campus's role in the 1952 Language Movement and the 1971 Liberation War is still commemorated, and events such as the Boishakhi procession for Bengali New Year draw big crowds.
- 20 residential halls and 3 hostels, including the Sir P.J. Hartog International Hall.
- Curzon Hall, the red-brick landmark that became the university's first institute, is the image most people associate with DU.
- Students and teachers led the 1952 Language Movement for Bengali as a state language.
- The Boishakhi procession marks Bengali New Year on campus.
Housing. Students are attached to one of DU's 20 residential halls or 3 hostels; foreign students should ask the Office of International Affairs about places.
Location
The campus sits in the Ramna and Shahbag area of central Dhaka, beside Suhrawardy Udyan park. Dhaka is one of the world's most densely populated cities, with heavy traffic but a low cost of living by international standards, and much of the capital's literary, cultural and political life happens on and around the university.
Nearest airport: Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC)
Notable alumni
- MY Muhammad YunusNobel Peace Prize laureate and microcredit pioneer; BA and MA in economics from DU
- SM Sheikh Mujibur RahmanFounding president of Bangladesh; studied in DU's Law Department (expelled in 1949, did not graduate)
- TA Tajuddin AhmadFirst prime minister of Bangladesh; BA in economics and a law degree from DU
- ZR Zillur RahmanPresident of Bangladesh 2009-2013; DU graduate
- BB Buddhadeva BoseBengali poet, novelist and critic; studied English at DU
- HA Humayun AhmedNovelist and filmmaker; bachelor's and master's in chemistry from DU
- MC Munier ChoudhuryPlaywright and linguist; BA and MA in English from DU
- A AnisuzzamanScholar of Bengali literature; bachelor's and master's in Bengali from DU
Frequently asked questions
How do you get admission to the University of Dhaka?
Bangladeshi applicants apply online at admission.eis.du.ac.bd and sit one of five unit admission tests (Science; Arts, Law and Social Science; Business Studies; Fine Arts; IBA). Merit position in the test decides which department you can choose.
When is the Dhaka University admission test?
For the 2025-26 session, applications ran from 29 October to 19 November 2025 and the tests were held between 28 November and 27 December 2025. Dates for the 2026-27 session had not been published by late September 2026.
Can foreign students study at the University of Dhaka?
Yes. Foreign nationals apply through the Office of International Affairs; the faculty checks the equivalence of their qualifications, the department issues an offer, and OIA handles visa support and ministry clearances.
How much are University of Dhaka fees for international students?
DU publishes tuition of US$500 a year for SAARC citizens and US$1,200 a year for citizens of other countries, plus other fees and possible departmental lab or course fees.
Can O and A Level students apply to Dhaka University?
Yes, after online equivalence registration. For 2025-26 they needed at least 5 O Level and 2 A Level passes, with at least four B grades and three C grades across the seven subjects.
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to DU in the QS World University Rankings 2027.