Why Nepali universities are failing

These cases illustrate a wider concern: student participation at several Nepali universities has weakened. The pattern cannot be explained by one cause alone. It reflects migration for study, doubts about teaching quality, unreliable academic calendars, limited facilities and uncertainty about graduate employment.

Foreign universities attract students with a broad range of courses, international exposure and the prospect of combining education with practical experience. At home, students and academics point to outdated curricula, slow administration and insufficient investment.

The exodus of students

Demand for No Objection Certificates, which Nepali students need to study overseas, rose sharply in the years examined in the original reporting. Education Ministry figures for 2022 showed Australia, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States among the leading destinations.

The figures are historical and should not be read as a measure of current flows. They nevertheless show how quickly international study became a mainstream choice for Nepali households, despite its substantial financial cost.

A deficit of quality and confidence

Older universities often gain standing through accumulated scholarship, institutional memory and research. In Nepal, age has not consistently produced that dividend. Students describe ageing facilities, shortages of experienced teachers and classroom methods that rely too heavily on memorisation.

Curricula do not always keep pace with the skills demanded by contemporary workplaces. Where practical learning, critical thinking and research are weak, students may finish a degree without feeling prepared for employment.

Public campuses also face infrastructure problems. Laboratories need dependable equipment, safe storage and regular maintenance. Campuses need study spaces and an academic culture that makes productive use of class hours. Neglect in these visible areas reinforces the belief that studying elsewhere offers a more reliable experience.

The cost of politicisation

Political influence has long affected public institutions, and universities are no exception. Governance arrangements that give political officeholders formal roles in university leadership create space for appointments based on affiliation rather than academic merit.

The consequences reach beyond senior posts. Leadership instability can slow decisions about curriculum, staffing, examinations and investment. It also makes accountability difficult when responsibilities are divided among political and academic authorities.

What the enrolment data showed

University Grants Commission figures cited in the source reporting showed higher-education enrolment increasing from 361,000 in fiscal year 2016–17 to 471,000 in 2019–20, before easing to 466,000 in 2020–21 and 460,000 in 2021–22. These are historical figures rather than a current enrolment count.

The national total can also obscure differences among institutions and programmes. Some universities saw modest fluctuations, while others experienced more sustained declines. Departments with too few applicants have had to reduce capacity or close programmes.

Academic calendars and delayed results

A degree advertised as four years loses credibility when administrative delays stretch the period of study much further. Late examinations, slow result publication and long waits for transcripts impose costs on students applying for jobs or further study.

This is not a minor customer-service issue. A predictable academic calendar is part of the educational product. Universities that cannot provide it make overseas and foreign-affiliated programmes appear safer, even when they are more expensive.

Attraction of foreign affiliations

The source material recorded 19,892 students in Nepal-based campuses affiliated with universities in several countries. The largest groups were associated with institutions from the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

The appeal is understandable: international curricula, different assessment systems and clearer links to career pathways. Yet foreign affiliation alone does not guarantee quality. Regulation must examine teaching, facilities, student support, fees and the standing of the institution awarding the degree.

How the trend could be reversed

Reform begins with the fundamentals: update curricula, improve teaching, maintain laboratories and libraries, publish a dependable academic calendar and modernise examination administration. Universities also need meaningful connections with employers so that students can gain practical experience alongside study.

Academic leaders should be selected through transparent, merit-based processes and held responsible for measurable institutional duties. Regulators, meanwhile, need to apply consistent quality standards to public, private and foreign-affiliated programmes.

Students do not leave solely because overseas education is fashionable. They also leave when domestic institutions cannot offer confidence in time, quality or opportunity. Restoring that confidence requires sustained administrative and academic work—not a single announcement or short-term campaign.