Despite 14 Lakh Vacant Seats, Top Colleges Brace for Fierce Admission Race

With 13 lakh 3 thousand 426 students passing the 2025 SSC and equivalent examinations, including 1 lakh 39 thousand 32 securing GPA-5, Bangladesh’s higher secondary institutions face a paradox: an estimated 14 lakh 64 thousand 916 seats will remain vacant across 9 thousand 314 colleges, madrasas, and technical institutes, yet competition for admission to top colleges is set to be intense.

Nationwide, these institutions offer 27 lakh 68 thousand 342 seats. The Dhaka Education Board oversees 1 thousand 72 colleges with 5 lakh 34 thousand 369 seats, Rajshahi Board has 755 colleges with 3 lakh 86 thousand 900 seats, Cumilla Board manages 458 colleges with 2 lakh 59 thousand 190 seats, Jessore Board covers 575 colleges with 2 lakh 20 thousand 939 seats, and Chittagong Board supervises 305 colleges with 1 lakh 69 thousand 524 seats.

Barisal Board has 349 colleges with 1 lakh 70 thousand 880 seats, Sylhet Board manages 322 colleges with 1 lakh 41 thousand 138 seats, Dinajpur Board oversees 661 colleges with 3 lakh 28 thousand 556 seats, and Mymensingh Board covers 311 colleges with 1 lakh 35 thousand 867 seats. Additionally, the Madrasa Board administers 2 thousand 682 institutions with 3 lakh 11 thousand 341 seats, and the Technical Education Board manages 1 thousand 824 institutions with 1 lakh 9 thousand 611 seats.

Despite this surplus, top colleges in Dhaka, such as Notre Dame, Holy Cross, and Viqarunnisa Noon, with a combined capacity of around 50 thousand seats, remain highly sought-after. Approximately 300 top-tier institutions, including divisional and district-level colleges and select polytechnics and madrasas, offer about 2 lakh seats, attracting fierce competition from the 1 lakh 39 thousand 32 GPA-5 holders and 4 lakh 44 thousand 378 students with GPAs between 4 and 5. Historically, around 10 percent of SSC passers do not pursue higher secondary education, further increasing vacant seats.

Dhaka’s premier colleges, including Dhaka College (1 thousand 200 seats), Notre Dame College (3 thousand 270 seats), RAJUK Uttara Model College (1 thousand 704 seats), Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (2 thousand 376 seats), Holy Cross College (1 thousand 330 seats), Adamjee Cantonment Public College (2 thousand 200 seats), Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt. Anwar Girls’ School and College (1 thousand 120 seats), Dhaka Residential Model College (1 thousand 14 seats), Motijheel Ideal School and College (1 thousand 165 seats), BAF Shaheen College (1 thousand 220 seats), Dhaka City College (3 thousand 762 seats), Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College (1 thousand 980 seats), Dhaka Commerce College (4 thousand 700 seats), Bangladesh Navy College (950 seats), and Shaheed Police Smriti College (880 seats), will see significant competition. Many schools with attached colleges prioritise their own SSC passers, limiting opportunities for external applicants.

The admission process, managed centrally online by the Dhaka Education Board with technical support from BUET, will rely on SSC results, merit, quotas (where applicable), and college preferences. Students apply to a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 colleges, with selections based on these criteria. Exceptions like Notre Dame, Holy Cross, and St. Joseph conduct their own entrance exams.

Dhaka Education Board Chairman Khandaker Ehsanul Kabir told the media, “A meeting with the Education Ministry will soon finalise