7,218 class 12 graduates but only 2,331 seats in RUB colleges this year

2026-03-02 - 08:25

This year, about 32.3 percent of the Class 12 graduates of 2025 will get admission to colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB). This is an increase from last year’s intake, when only 1,751 students out of 7,710 BHSEC pass-outs were admitted to colleges under the RUB, including both government scholarship and self-financed placements. This represented just 22.7 percent of the total graduates, significantly lower than this year’s 32.3 percent admission rate. As for this year, out of 7,218 BHSEC pass-outs, 2,331 students will secure admission to RUB colleges, marking an increase of about nine percent compared to last year. Under RUB, nine colleges are listed. The College of Language and Culture Studies (CLCS) will offer 125 seats across five newly developed undergraduate programmes. Each program will admit 25 students. While each course will admit 25 students, the college said, “At least 75 applicants for each program will be shortlisted based on Class 12 marks and Subject Ability Rating.’ Jigme Namgyel Engineering College (JNEC) will have the highest intake this year, admitting about 415 students across 11 programs. It is followed by the College of Science and Technology (CST), which will admit 385 students in 10 programs. Among the other colleges, Gedu College of Business Studies (GCBS) will admit 360 students, while the College of Natural Resources (CNR) will take in 185 students. Paro College of Education (PCE) has an intake capacity of 240 students, and Samtse College of Education (SCE) will admit 170 students. Sherubtse College (SC) is set to enroll 276 students this year, and Gyalpozhing College of Information Technology (GCIT) will admit 175 students. In total, there are about 30 courses available listed under the RUB colleges. In the previous year’s intake, Arts students had the fewest available seats and programs across RUB colleges. However, with the development of five new undergraduate courses at CLCS, all five programs have been designed to allow Arts students to gain admission, providing them with more opportunities and greater access to higher education this year. Since Mathematics has now been made compulsory for all students, Arts students can no longer drop the subject as they could in previous years. With a Mathematics background, they are now eligible to apply for courses that require specific Mathematics marks, expanding their opportunities for admission into a wider range of programs at RUB. The total intake in RUB colleges has long been a concern for students wishing to pursue higher education within the country. Each year, 60 to 70 percent of BHSEC graduates who are not admitted to RUB colleges either do not continue with higher studies or choose to study abroad. In addition, some students receive government scholarships to pursue education in foreign countries. This topic has also been raised by the National Council’s Social and Cultural Affairs Committee (SCAC) that such a situation poses a significant challenge to the country’s human resource development and long-term growth, stressing the urgent need for reforms to address the growing disparity between the number of students passing out and available college placements. Looking ahead, the RUB said, “The online application portal for College of Language and Culture Studies, College of Science and Technology, Gyalpozhing College of Information Technology, Gedu College of Business Studies, Paro College of Education, Samtse College of Education and Sherubtse College (Bachelor of Economics and Political Science, Bachelor of Digital Communication and Project Management, and Bachelor of Data Science and Data Analytics) will open on 1st March and close on 15th March 2026 at 5:00 PM.”