Overview
National University, Bangladesh (NU) is a public affiliating university, established in 1992 by an Act of the Parliament of Bangladesh. Unlike a conventional campus university, NU does not itself teach most of its students: it sets the curriculum, conducts examinations, and awards degrees for a nationwide network of affiliated government, non-government and other colleges and professional institutions, while day-to-day teaching happens at those colleges. As of NU's own published figures, the university had 2,257 affiliated colleges and institutions (555 government, 1,361 non-government, 341 other) with about 3.4 million students enrolled. Its headquarters is in Gazipur, about 30 km from Dhaka, with six Regional Centres across the country's administrative divisions to help administer this affiliated network. Alongside its affiliated-college system, NU also runs a limited number of postgraduate and research programmes — MS, M.Phil and Ph.D — directly on its Gazipur campus.
Programmes
NU's affiliated colleges offer four broad levels of study set by the university:
Honours — four-year bachelor's degrees (BA, BSS, BSc, BBA and similar) in specific subjects, taught at colleges approved to offer that subject's Honours programme.
Degree (Pass) — a broader three-year bachelor's degree for colleges or students not on the Honours track.
Masters — one-year (for Honours graduates) or two-year (for Degree Pass graduates) postgraduate programmes, offered in both regular and private (non-attending) modes, plus professional Masters programmes such as an Advanced MBA.
On-campus postgraduate/research programmes — MS, M.Phil and Ph.D, run directly by NU at its Gazipur headquarters rather than through affiliated colleges.
Admission
Admission to NU's Honours first-year programme runs through a centralised process: eligible students (based on their SSC and HSC results) submit an online application, are assigned a seat through a merit-based allocation, and — based on NU's own 2025–26 admission notices — sit a centralised written admission test before a merit list and further "release slip" rounds are published to fill remaining seats; colleges then confirm each admitted student's final enrolment. For the 2025–26 academic year, NU's admission-test notices show the test held in late April 2026 with results published in early May 2026, followed by seat-arrangement and release-slip notices through August–September 2026 — the exact process, dates and test format are republished by NU for each academic year, so check the current year's Admission Notice page rather than assuming the same test dates recur. Admission to Degree (Pass) and Masters programmes is handled through separate, subject- and year-specific notices published on the same page, generally through online application and merit rather than a centralised entrance test. Admission to the on-campus M.Phil and Ph.D programmes at Gazipur includes a written admission test followed by a viva-voce (oral examination), per NU's 2026–27 M.Phil/Ph.D admission notices.
Exam structure
Examinations for Honours, Degree (Pass) and Masters programmes are conducted centrally by NU's Controller of Examination Office, even though teaching happens at the affiliated colleges — this is what makes NU an "affiliating" rather than a teaching university. Honours is examined year by year (1st through 4th year), each with its own examination and result; Degree (Pass) similarly has its own year-wise structure. Colleges submit internal/practical marks to NU through its Examination Management System (EMS) ahead of each year's results. Results for all programmes are published through NU's dedicated results portal rather than the main site.
Preparation tips
Because NU republishes its admission and examination calendar separately for each academic year and each programme (Honours, Degree Pass, Masters, M.Phil/Ph.D), and because affiliated colleges vary in which subjects and programmes they are approved to offer, always confirm the current year's Admission Notice and your specific college's offerings on nu.ac.bd rather than relying on a previous year's dates or process.
What is National University Bangladesh?
A public affiliating university established in 1992 that sets the curriculum, conducts examinations and awards degrees for thousands of affiliated colleges across Bangladesh, rather than teaching most students directly on its own campus.
Does National University Bangladesh have its own campus?
Its headquarters and a limited set of on-campus MS, M.Phil and Ph.D programmes are based in Gazipur, near Dhaka, but the vast majority of its students study at affiliated colleges across the country, coordinated through six Regional Centres.
How do I get admission to an Honours programme under NU?
Through a centralised online application based on SSC/HSC results, followed (per NU's 2025–26 notices) by a written admission test, a merit list, and further release-slip rounds to fill remaining seats; the college you are allotted to then confirms your final admission.
Does NU conduct entrance tests for all its programmes?
Not uniformly. Honours first-year admission has included a centralised written test in recent years, while Degree (Pass) and Masters admissions are generally handled through online application and merit. On-campus M.Phil and Ph.D admission includes a written test followed by a viva-voce.
Who conducts examinations for NU's affiliated colleges?
NU's own Controller of Examination Office conducts and results all Honours, Degree (Pass) and Masters examinations centrally, even though teaching takes place at the affiliated colleges.
How many colleges are affiliated with National University Bangladesh?
Per NU's own published figures, 2,257 colleges and institutions (555 government, 1,361 non-government, 341 other) are affiliated to the university.