University of Chittagong

University of Chittagong (CU) is a public research university in Bangladesh. Its campus is in Fatehpur, Hathazari Upazila, about 22 km north of Chattogram city. It was established on 18 November 1966 and is the fifth oldest university in the country.

Rankings and data

• THE World University Rankings 2027: band 1401-1600.
• THE Asia University Rankings 2026: band 601-800.
• QS Asia University Rankings 2026: rank 646.
• Ulkaa Edu Rank 2027: band 31-40 among universities. This band is computed from the published Ulkaa methodology.

In 2025 the university recorded 233,327 applicants for 4,165 seats, which is 56 applicants per seat. Research data for 2025 lists 1,103 works in the year and an h-index of 147 as of 2026. Ten programmes are listed for 2027, and one programme was counted as accredited in 2026, by the Pharmacy Council of Bangladesh.

The applicants-per-seat figure shows how competitive entry is, while the research numbers reflect a university with a long publication record. Use both when comparing it with other public universities.

The University of Chittagong was founded on 18 November 1966, making it the fifth oldest university in Bangladesh. It was created as a public university for the Chattogram region and grew into a multi-faculty institution with affiliated colleges across the area.

The campus covers 2,312.32 acres, which makes it the largest university campus in the country. It sits in hilly, suburban surroundings in Hathazari.

The university today has 10 faculties with 54 departments, seven institutes (including Fine Arts, Modern Languages and Marine Science) and six research centres. It also oversees 21 affiliated institutions. Well-known people connected with it include Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and the physicist Jamal Nazrul Islam.

Admission to first-year honours programmes works through a written entrance examination, with an online application, admit card download, the written test and then subject allocation and enrolment. Postgraduate admission can include an interview or viva.

Competition is high. In 2025 the university recorded 233,327 applicants for 4,165 seats, so planning and preparation matter. Eligibility depends on the unit and programme, and the details are announced each cycle.

Ulkaa does not state fee figures here. The university's admission portal at admission.cu.ac.bd and the official notice board carry the current schedule and requirements. Official website: http://www.cu.ac.bd

The ten faculties and 54 departments cover a wide range. The stored programme list includes:

• Business Administration and Economics
• Law
• English and Mathematics
• Physics
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
• Pharmacy and Bachelor of Pharmacy

The university also runs institutes for Fine Arts, Modern Languages and Marine Science. For graduate study it offers master's degrees and MPhil and PhD programmes, plus some certificate and diploma courses such as language programmes.

For an applicant, the large number of departments means the choice of subject matters more than the choice of university alone. Seat counts and subject availability change from year to year, so check the current admission circular for the departments you are targeting.

The campus is large and green, and student life is shaped by its size and its distance from the city. There are 14 residential halls, nine for male and five for female students, and about 27,550 students according to public records.

The central library holds about 350,000 books and over 40,000 bound journals in a building dating from 1990. The Chittagong University Museum, founded in 1973, keeps historical artefacts and fossils.

A university shuttle train runs between the campus and city stations on the Bangladesh Railway network. Details of the timetable are best confirmed locally.