About
Headquartered in Thimphu, Bhutan, the Royal University of Bhutan is a federal university system that serves as the nation's premier institution for higher education, best known for integrating Gross National Happiness values into its curriculum. Academically, the university is strongest in fields directly tied to regional sustainable development, including environmental science, renewable energy engineering, teacher education, and traditional Bhutanese studies. For international students, the institution offers a uniquely immersive study abroad experience through specialised semester and research programs focused on Himalayan ecology, Buddhist philosophy, and Gross National Happiness economics. The university's international relations office assists incoming global scholars with cultural orientation, visa arrangements, and academic integration across its constituent colleges. A distinctive characteristic of the university is its decentralized collegiate model, where individual member colleges are spread across different scenic regions of the country, allowing students to study everything from forestry in southern Bhutan to business in Thimphu.
Background
The Royal University of Bhutan (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་འཛིན་གཙུག་ལག་སློབ་སྡེ་; Wylie: 'brug rgyal-'dzin gtsug-lag-slob-sde), founded on June 2, 2003, by a royal decree, is the national university of Bhutan. It is the first and the oldest university in Bhutan.
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SchoolScout builds a personalized college list — reach, match, and safety schools — tailored to your profile, grades, and goals. Get financial aid estimates, scholarship guidance, and deep dives on every school.