After a disastrous year for HSC and equivalent results, a new kind of battle is about to begin - the admission war.
With the lowest HSC pass rate in 20 years - only 58.83 per cent - and just 69,097 GPA-5 achievers, this year’s university admission race is shaping up to be one of the toughest in recent memory. Students who barely crossed the pass mark now face an uphill struggle, while even GPA-5 holders are uncertain about securing a coveted seat in a public university.
A shrinking pool and rising pressure
Out of the 7,26,960 students who passed, only a small fraction will make it into Bangladesh’s 55 public universities—of which 53 are currently active. These institutions together offer roughly 50,000 seats, while government medical and dental colleges add another 5,000.
That’s just 55,000 opportunities for nearly three-quarters of a million hopefuls.
This means only one in every 13 successful HSC candidates can dream of studying in a public university or medical college this year.
Meanwhile, over 1.3 million seats exist across the higher education system—including the National University and the Open University—but those vast numbers mask a grim truth: quality is concentrated in a few prestigious public universities, and that’s where the real fight lies.
The admission targets
For many students, the battle lines are already drawn.
BUET, Dhaka University, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Jahangirnagar, and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology—these are the dream campuses that define academic prestige in Bangladesh.
Nazmul Islam, a science student from Notre Dame College who scored GPA-5, says the result shock has only intensified competition.
“I expected a golden GPA-5 but missed it by one subject. Now my first target is BUET. If not there, I’ll try for DU or KUET-CUET,” he says.
For Tasnim Mitu, a humanities student from Viqarunnisa Noon College with GPA-4.60, the strategy is both ambitious and practical.
“My first choice is Dhaka University. Since my family is in Dhaka, I’ll give my best shot here. If not, I’ll try Rajshahi, Jahangirnagar, or Jagannath,” she says.
Students like Nazmul and Mitu represent two sides of the same coin—bracing for an admission war in a year when even the brightest are anxious.
The paradox of plenty
Statistically, Bangladesh has enough university seats to accommodate every successful HSC student—over 1.3 million seats for 7.2 lakh passers. Yet the fight is fiercer than ever.
Why? Because not all seats are equal.
The prestige, affordability, and job prospects of public universities make them the top choice for most students. Private institutions, though numerous, remain out of reach for many due to high tuition and questions about academic standards.
According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), outside public universities and government medical colleges there are:
6,340 seats in private medical colleges
1,350 in private dental colleges
350 in Armed Forces Medical College
186,899 honors seats in private universities
Over 850,000 seats under the National University and Open University systems
Yet, despite the numbers, thousands of students each year choose to sit idle, retaking admission tests or migrating abroad rather than enrolling in lesser-known institutions.
“Not everyone can win this war”
Professor Dr Hafizur Rahman, of Dhaka University’s Institute of Education and Research, says the problem is structural.
“Seats in public universities and medical colleges are extremely limited. Students must fight hard, but even then, not everyone can win,” he said.
“The government must ensure quality in all higher education institutions—public and private alike—so students can build real skills wherever they study.”
His words echo a wider truth: Bangladesh’s education system still runs on hierarchy. The top universities carry prestige, while others struggle for credibility.
The new academic battlefield
As admission forms open across the country, coaching centers are already overflowing, and social media is buzzing with “admission battle plans.”
Students who have just endured a disappointing result season now face another kind of stress—a test of survival in a system where opportunity is scarce, and success is often measured by the name on your university ID card.
The irony, as many educators point out, is that Bangladesh doesn’t suffer from a lack of universities—only a lack of equal quality.
Until that gap is bridged, the admission war will rage on every year—one that rewards a lucky few and leaves thousands standing outside the gates, waiting for their next chance.
Because in this education battlefield, passing the exam is only the beginning. The real fight starts now.