Although public universities remain the main destination for most students pursuing higher education, they are gradually falling behind in science and technology education.
Private universities, on the other hand, initially prioritised business studies after their establishment but have moved away from the “BBA model” over the past decade to place greater emphasis on science and technology.
Students’ preferences have also changed, with growing numbers now opting for specialised institutions focusing on technology, engineering and agriculture.
Professor Mohammad Mojibur Rahman of the Institute of Education and Research at the University of Dhaka identified two main reasons for the decline in science enrolment at public universities.
“Many students no longer prioritise science when applying to public universities because there is no guarantee of subject-specific employment,” he said. “A large number of students enrol in any subject and then focus on preparing for government jobs.”
Professor Mojibur further said students at private universities can usually study their preferred subjects by paying tuition fees, whereas admission to a particular subject at a public university depends largely on admission test results rather than personal preference.
“As a result, many students who fail to secure a place in their preferred science subject are forced to study something else,” he added.
Humanities gain ground at public universities
UGC statistics show that between 2014 and 2023, Bangladesh established 18 new public universities and the total number of students increased by nearly 20 lakh. However, the proportion of students enrolled in science, information technology, engineering and mathematics declined during the period.
The share of humanities students increased by at least eight percentage points over the decade. While the proportion of students in the social sciences remained almost unchanged, the share studying business declined by at least six percentage points.
In 2014, only 2,99,936 of the 25.85 lakh students enrolled in 35 public universities studied science, agriculture and technical subjects, representing 11.60 per cent of total enrolment.
By 2023, the number of students enrolled in the same disciplines in 53 public universities stood at 4,53,073 out of 45.78 lakh students, accounting for just 9.9 per cent of the total.
In 2014, 33.62 per cent of students were enrolled in arts, 27 per cent in social sciences and 24 per cent in business. By 2023, the proportion studying humanities had increased to 41.69 per cent, while social sciences accounted for 27.33 per cent and business had fallen to 17.98 per cent.
The picture at private universities
Between 2014 and 2023, the proportion of students studying science at private universities increased by almost 19 percentage points. During the period, enrolment in science- and technology-related disciplines rose from 34.25 per cent to nearly 53 per cent.
In their early years, business studies attracted the highest number of students at private universities. However, the proportion of business students declined from 38.96 per cent in 2014 to 22.56 per cent in 2023.
Although 28 new private universities were established during the decade, numbers of students did not grow proportionately, increasing by only about 27,000.
Private universities enrolled around 3.31 lakh students across 75 institutions in 2014. By 2023, enrolment had risen to about 3.58 lakh students across 103 universities.
“Private universities have always prioritised subjects with stronger employment prospects. When business graduates enjoyed greater job security, private universities focused on business education. Now, as career opportunities in technology and artificial intelligence have expanded rapidly, these disciplines are receiving greater emphasis,” Professor Mohammad Anwar Hossen, a UGC member, told TIMES.
According to him, public universities do not operate with commercial considerations in the same way, which explains their stronger emphasis on humanities. “These subjects remain essential for society and for nurturing humanity alongside science.”
Research capacity improves at private universities
Over the past decade, the number of full-time faculty members and PhD holders at private universities has increased significantly, indicating stronger research capacity.
According to the UGC report, private universities added at least 3,500 full-time teachers and around 1,000 PhD-qualified academics during the period.
In 2014, private universities employed 14,219 teachers, of whom around 9,500 were full-time. Among the 2,719 PhD-qualified academics, 1,077 worked full-time, while 1,642 served as part-time faculty members.
By 2023, the total number of teachers had risen to 17,489, with almost 13,000 serving full-time. The number of PhD-qualified academics also increased to 3,603, including 2,072 full-time and 1,531 part-time faculty members.
During the same period, the number of teachers at public universities increased from around 12,000 to 17,000. In both years, PhD-qualified academics accounted for slightly more than one-third of the total teaching staff.
Private universities have also narrowed the gap with public institutions in terms of the teacher-student ratio. Over the past decade, the ratio at public universities improved from 1:19 to 1:18, while the ratio at private universities improved from 1:23 to 1:21.
Professor SM Hafizur Rahman, director of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell at the University of Dhaka, told TIMES, “The greater a country’s emphasis on science and technology education, the better its contribution to national development. To move from a developing to a developed country, science, technology, engineering and mathematics education must be expanded.”
He also stressed the need to ensure quality, saying the University Grants Commission and the Bangladesh Accreditation Council must play a more active role.
Interest grows in specialised universities
Students are increasingly choosing specialised universities over general universities.
In 2014, 69 per cent of students were enrolled in 11 general universities out of the country’s 32 public universities, while the remaining 31 per cent studied at science, technology and other specialised institutions.
By 2023, the proportion of students attending 15 general universities out of 50 public universities had fallen to 61.14 per cent, while enrolment at science, technology and specialised universities had risen to 38.86 per cent.
Among these specialised institutions, 10 agricultural universities accounted for 10.79 per cent of students, 11 science and technology universities for 10.73 per cent, five engineering and technology universities for 15.57 per cent, five medical universities for 0.25 per cent and four other specialised universities for the remaining 1.52 per cent.
Female enrolment remains lower at private universities
Excluding the National University, Islamic Arabic University and Bangladesh Open University, private universities now enrol more students than public universities. However, female participation remains comparatively lower.
A decade ago, only 26 out of every 100 students at private universities were women. By 2023, the figure had increased to 34.
The gender gap is narrower at public universities. Women accounted for 32 out of every 100 students in 2014, rising to 39 a decade later.
When the National University, Islamic Arabic University and Bangladesh Open University are included, female participation across the public university sector is even higher, increasing from 43 out of every 100 students a decade ago to 47 in 2023.
“In many families with more than one child, sons still receive greater priority. If parents can afford to send only one child to a private university, they are more likely to invest in their son than their daughter,” said Professor Anwar Hossen.
