Bangladeshi universities have yet again found themselves in a challenging position in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, with none making it into the top 800 globally.
Despite this, a total of 16 universities from Bangladesh have been ranked, offering a unique opportunity to see how these institutions measure up in specific criteria such as teaching, research environment, research quality, industry collaboration, and international outlook.
Top performers: Who’s leading in which areas?
Five Bangladeshi universities made it into the 801–1000 bracket, each excelling in different criteria:
- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU):
- Strength: Research quality (77.3)
- Notable: International outlook (51.8)
- Weakness: Research environment (9.1)
BSMRAU’s research quality stands out, indicating its strong performance in producing highly cited and globally recognized academic research. However, the university struggles in creating a robust research environment, suggesting challenges in research infrastructure and support.
- Daffodil International University (DIU):
- Strength: Research quality (82.6), international outlook (65.2)
- Weakness: Teaching (12.1)
DIU excels in research quality, outperforming most other institutions in Bangladesh, and its high score in international outlook reflects its diverse student and faculty body. However, the university’s teaching score is relatively low, indicating room for improvement in academic instruction.
- Jahangirnagar University:
- Strength: Research quality (75.4)
- Weakness: Research environment (9.7)
Jahangirnagar University’s research quality is solid, but the low research environment score points to issues in creating a supportive academic framework for faculty and students.
- Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST):
- Strength: Research quality (75.8)
- Weakness: Teaching (15.4)
Like other universities in this group, JUST performs well in research but lacks in teaching, showing the potential to improve faculty-student engagement and academic instruction.
- North South University (NSU):
- Strength: Research quality (80.3)
- Notable: Industry collaboration (24.3)
- Weakness: Research environment (10.7)
NSU’s standout feature is its research quality, which is similar to DIU and BSMRAU, and it has also established strong ties with the industry, contributing to practical and applied research. However, its research environment score remains below average.
No Bangladeshi university in top 800 of THE world rankings again1001–1200 range: Continued challenges
Other prominent institutions such as Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), and University of Dhaka fall into the 1001–1200 bracket, continuing to show strength in specific areas but facing significant challenges overall.
BUET stands out for its industry collaboration (33.1), which is indicative of strong engineering research linked to practical applications. However, it faces difficulties with its international outlook (31.6), pointing to a lack of diversity among students and faculty.
The University of Dhaka, despite being the oldest institution, remains strong in teaching (20.1) but struggles in its research environment (10.3), which indicates challenges in fostering cutting-edge research.
While Bangladeshi universities have shown promise in areas like research quality and international outlook, they are consistently underperforming in teaching and research environments.
The 2025 Times Higher Education rankings reveal a mixed picture, where institutions like DIU and BSMRAU lead in research but face challenges in providing a supportive academic framework.
For Bangladesh to rise in future rankings, these universities must focus on strengthening their research infrastructure, improving teaching standards, and building international partnerships.
Key strengths:
- Research Quality: DIU (82.6), NSU (80.3), BSMRAU (77.3)
- International Outlook: DIU (65.2), BSMRAU (51.8)
- Industry Collaboration: NSU (24.3), BUET (33.1)
Improving the weaker areas—especially teaching and research environments—will be crucial for Bangladeshi universities in their quest to climb higher in global rankings.
The following Bangladeshi universities have submitted data but did not meet the eligibility criteria for full ranking, and are thus included in the “reporters” category: Dhaka International University, East West University, Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), IUBAT – International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, United International University, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), and Varendra University.
