Students who passed the recently published HSC and equivalent exams this year will face no seat crisis during undergraduate (honors) admission.
In the 2026-27 academic year, there are opportunities for admission for about 15 lakh students across the country’s public and private universities and affiliated colleges combined, which is more than double the total number of students who passed the HSC.
According to updated information from the University Grants Commission (UGC), a total of 6 lakh 46 thousand 685 students passed the HSC and equivalent examinations this year, among whom 40 thousand 84 received a GPA of 5.
On the other hand, for the 2026-27 academic year, the total number of seats for admission at the undergraduate level across public universities, affiliated institutions, and private universities combined is 14 lakh 92 thousand 288.
Regarding the admission of HSC-passed students to higher education, Minister of Education and Primary and Mass Education Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon told BSS that this year there are adequate seats for university admission seekers compared to the total number of students who passed. There are about 15 lakh seats in various universities for higher education, while about 6.5 lakh students passed this year, he said, adding that universities will admit students according to their own standards and policies.
He further said, “There will be no seat crisis for higher education. Students will get the opportunity to be admitted according to their qualifications in their preferred fields.”
The UGC said that in the 2026-27 academic year, out of a total of 14 lakh 92 thousand 288 seats, country’s 61 public universities and their affiliated educational institutions have a total of 10 lakh 82 thousand 288 seats while 107 private universities have 4.10 lakh seats.
The main campuses of public universities have 63 thousand 656 seats directly. Among these, Dhaka University has 6,125, Rajshahi University 3,956, Chittagong University 4,033, Jahangirnagar University 1,848, Islamic University 2,515, and other general and science and technology universities have significant numbers of seats.
In addition, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) has 1,309 seats, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) 931, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) 1,235, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) 1,105, and Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (Duet) 780 seats. Besides, Bangladesh Agricultural University(Bau) has 1,034 seats and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University has 705 seats.
The majority of seats are in colleges under the National University, where the number of seats is 9 lakh 46 thousand 95. In addition, Bangladesh Open University has 42 thousand 434 seats and madrasas affiliated with the Islamic Arabic University have 11 thousand 55 seats. On the other hand, Dhaka Central University has a total of 11 thousand 290 seats.
The UGC said, the country’s 37 government medical colleges have 5,100 seats, 72 private medical colleges have 6,001, 9 government dental colleges have 545, 28 private dental colleges have 1,490, and the Armed Forces Medical College has a total of 375 seats.
Education-related sources said that although there is a huge surplus of seats in the country overall, students will face fierce competition for the 63 thousand 656 seats on the main campuses of public universities and for the government medical colleges.
As a total of 40 thousand 84 students received a GPA of 5 this year, they will mainly enter the priority battle for admission to first-tier public universities and specialised engineering and medical colleges.
However, there is a possibility of some student shortage in the National University, the Open University, and the country’s 107 private universities. As a result, all admission-seeking students will be able to enrol in higher education according to their preferences and abilities, officials of the Ministry of Education said.
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