The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) has revealed that a total of 1.546 million students were registered in Thai universities during the second semester of 2023. The count includes 1.267 million students in public universities, 259,115 in private universities, and 19,477 in institutions not officially recognized by the ministry.
The MHESI noted, however, that these numbers do not include enrollment data from seven public universities that had not yet reported their figures for the previous year’s second semester. The universities missing from the report are Ubon Ratchathani University, Pathumwan Institute of Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Khon Kaen University, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, and Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
Of the universities that submitted their data, Ramkhamhaeng University had the largest enrollment, with 296,347 students. Kasetsart University followed with 69,171 students, and Mahasarakham University had 41,310. Other universities with significant enrollments included Thammasat University, with 40,144 students, Chulalongkorn University, with 38,053, and Chiang Mai University, with 36,776. Rounding out the list were Prince of Songkla University, Mahidol University, and Silpakorn University, with enrollments of 32,284, 29,640, and 28,096, respectively.
The overview offers insight into the distribution of university students in Thailand, showcasing the diverse educational paths students choose. This also emphasizes the need for complete and accurate data to analyze trends in the country’s higher education system effectively. (NNT)
