Chulalongkorn University
254 Phaya Thai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
Chulalongkorn holds the No. 1 position in Thailand for the 17th consecutive year in QS World University Rankings 2026, placing 221st globally and in the top 10 across ASEAN. With 100-plus international programs, eight subject areas ranking in the world's top 100, and a campus squarely in central Bangkok, it anchors its status as the country's premier research and teaching institution.
Chulalongkorn University was founded on 26 March 1917 when King Vajiravudh elevated the Civil Service College into a full university, making it Thailand's oldest institution of higher education. The main campus at 254 Phaya Thai Road in Pathum Wan sits adjacent to MBK and Siam Square, placing it within easy reach of central Bangkok's transport network.
The university currently spans 19 faculties, 3 colleges, 1 school, and 10 research institutes with a combined enrollment of over 42,500 students. International students from 60 countries attend on exchange or full-degree programs, and approximately 2,000 international students are enrolled at any given time.
Academic programs are offered in both Thai and English. More than 100 internationally structured programs cover disciplines including accounting, international business management, economics, applied chemistry, architectural design, communication design, and language and culture. The Faculty of Arts offers the Bachelor of Arts Program in Language and Culture (BALAC) conducted entirely in English. The first semester of each academic year begins in August, with the main international admissions cycle running from December through January.
In QS World University Rankings 2026, Chulalongkorn placed 221st globally, 1st in Thailand for the 17th consecutive year, and within the top 10 in ASEAN. The QS Subject Rankings 2026 evaluated the university across 60 subject areas; it ranked 1st in Thailand in 46 of those subjects and placed 8 subjects in the world's top 100. In Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025, the university ranks in the global top 44 for sustainability and holds the ASEAN top position for SDG 9 with a score of 99.7 out of 100.
For prospective students seeking a research-intensive Thai university with broad English-medium undergraduate and postgraduate pathways, Chulalongkorn's ranking position, faculty breadth, and central Bangkok location make it the reference point against which all other Thai institutions are measured.