Quick Summary
Naresuan University is a public university in Phitsanulok, in Thailand's lower-north region, established in 1990 and named after Phitsanulok-born King Naresuan the Great. It enrolls approximately 26,700 students across 16 faculties spanning health sciences, social sciences, and science and technology, and operates its own teaching hospital, Naresuan University Hospital, which serves as the super-tertiary referral center for the surrounding lower-northern provinces. The university is ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2026 band of 1401+ and the THE World University Rankings 2026 band of 1501+. It maintains an autonomous renewable-energy research institute, SGtech, and offers international programs in English through Naresuan University International College alongside domestic admission via Thailand's TCAS system.
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Institutional Profile
Who they are
Naresuan University operates its own teaching hospital, Naresuan University Hospital, which opened in 2005 and serves as the super-tertiary care referral center for Thailand's lower-northern region, covering provinces such as Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Tak, and Kamphaeng Phet with roughly 400-500 beds -- giving Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy students direct clinical exposure to a multi-province patient population rather than a single-city catchment. The university's School of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (SGtech), an autonomous institute founded in 1995, gives engineering and science students a dedicated program track in solar and smart-grid research, including work on Thailand's utility-scale photovoltaic plants, and publishes its own peer-reviewed journal (RAST) as a direct outlet for student and faculty research. As one of Thailand's larger public universities, with about 26,700 students spread across 16 faculties in three clusters (health sciences, social sciences, and science and technology), Naresuan offers a comparatively broad range of professional programs -- including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, and law -- within a single campus system in the lower-north region rather than requiring students to choose between narrower specialist institutions.
Founded1990
TypePublic university
Total Students26,692
Intl Students1%
Faculty Ratio17.8:1
CampusSuburban, single main campus about 10 km south of Phitsanulok city center, plus a smaller original 100-acre "Airport Area" campus in the city
Campus SizeApproximately 1,300 acres (main Tha Pho campus)
Affiliated HospitalsNaresuan University Hospital, the teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, opened on 26 March 2005 and functions as the super-tertiary care referral center for Thailand's lower-northern provinces (including Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Tak, and Kamphaeng Phet); reported bed capacity is in the low 400s to around 494 beds, including intensive care beds.
AccreditationNaresuan University is a public university under Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, established by royal charter (the Naresuan University Act) on 29 July 1990.
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Global Standing
Three independent ranking systems
QS World 2026
#1401+
Quacquarelli Symonds
Times Higher Ed
#1501+
THE World University
ARWU Shanghai
Not Available
Academic Ranking
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Academics & Research
What you can study
Undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs across 16 faculties organized into three clusters: Health Sciences (Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health, Allied Health Sciences, Medical Science), Social Sciences (Education, Humanities, Law, Business/Economics/Communications, Social Sciences), and Science and Technology (Agriculture and Natural Resources, Architecture, Engineering, Science, Logistics and Digital Supply Chain).
Programs
Naresuan University offers doctoral (PhD) programs in multiple fields, including through its School of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (SGtech) and its health sciences and engineering faculties; doctoral study is typically structured as a 3-year program for international applicants.
PhD Programs
Specific fully online degree programs were not identified in this research pass; the university's international programs are delivered primarily through in-person, English-medium instruction.
Online Programs
School of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (SGtech), an autonomous institute established in 1995 that conducts research and teaching in renewable energy and smart grid technologies and publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (RAST); the university also operates the Health Sciences Research Center associated with Naresuan University Hospital, construction of which began in 1996 and completed in 2000.
Research Centers
SGtech researchers publish in international peer-reviewed venues on topics such as short-term electricity demand forecasting from solar irradiance data, performance improvement of a 7 MW DC photovoltaic power plant in Thailand, and agrivoltaics policy. The university publishes its own SGtech-run Journal of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (RAST) as an outlet for this work. Naresuan University Hospital's role as the designated super-tertiary referral hospital for the lower-northern provinces also anchors clinical and medical research activity tied to the Faculty of Medicine.
Research Output
Naresuan University is a public university under Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, established by royal charter (the Naresuan University Act) on 29 July 1990.
Accreditation
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Admissions Brief
What it takes to get in
Entry Requirements
Acceptance RateNot Available
IELTSIELTS 5.0 or higher for graduate admission (varies by program; some programs require 6.0)
TOEFLTOEFL minimum score of 35 for graduate admission (varies by program)
Min GPA2.50 (Naresuan University International College undergraduate admission, with a minimum English-subject GPA of 3.00)
GRENot Available
GMATNot Available
SATNot Available
ACTNot Available
Key Dates
Application deadlines are being updated. Check the official website for current dates.
Required Documents
TranscriptsSOPEnglish ScoresLORsPassport
Insider Tip
Thai nationals apply mainly through Thailand's centralized TCAS admission system, which runs in rounds ahead of each August intake, while international applicants apply directly to Naresuan University International College (NUIC) with a completed application form, transcripts, and English proficiency evidence such as IELTS or the Cambridge English Placement Test. NUIC undergraduate admission requires a minimum overall GPA of 2.50 and a minimum GPA of 3.00 in English coursework, plus a 300 baht application fee and a 510 baht English placement test fee if IELTS/TOEFL scores are not submitted. Graduate applicants should expect to submit two letters of recommendation, official transcripts, a medical fitness certificate, and evidence of a bachelor's degree with roughly a 3.0 GPA for master's-level study. Because tuition varies widely by faculty (from about 80,000 to over 600,000 baht depending on level and program), applicants should confirm program-specific fees directly with NUIC or the relevant faculty before applying.
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Cost Ledger
Amounts in Thai Baht
UG Tuition
เธฟ9,223,372,036,854,775,807/yr
per year ยท THB
PG Tuition
เธฟ9,223,372,036,854,775,807/yr
per year ยท THB
Application Fee
$9
one time ยท USD
Scholarships AvailableNaresuan University participates in Thailand's government-funded Thailand Scholarships program, which for the 2026 intake offered master's-level awards covering tuition, living expenses, airfare, accommodation, books, and thesis fees, with one award reserved for applicants from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam and another open to citizens of other countries; the 2026 master's scholarship application deadline was 20 March 2026.
Financial AidNaresuan's support for international students runs primarily through the competitive, externally-funded Thailand Scholarships program rather than a general university-wide need-based aid scheme; applicants should check current-year availability through the NU International Affairs office since award numbers and eligible programs change annually.
Work-StudyThis research pass found no dedicated on-campus work-study employment program for international students; Thailand's student visa conditions generally restrict international students from taking outside paid work without separate work permit authorization.
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Featured & Popular Programs
A sample from Undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs across 16 faculties organized into three clusters: Health Sciences (Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health, Allied Health Sciences, Medical Science), Social Sciences (Education, Humanities, Law, Business/Economics/Communications, Social Sciences), and Science and Technology (Agriculture and Natural Resources, Architecture, Engineering, Science, Logistics and Digital Supply Chain). programs total
| Program | Level | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |
| Pharmacy | MASTER | 1-2 YRS |
| Nursing | PHD | 3-5 YRS |
| Engineering | MBA | 12-24 MO |
| Business Administration | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |
| and Renewable Energy/Smart Grid Technology are among the university's most established professional and technical programs. | MASTER | 1-2 YRS |
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Career Outcomes
Where graduates land
Not Available
Average Salary After Graduation
Not Available
Employment Rate
Industry Connections
The Faculty of Medicine's teaching hospitalNaresuan University Hospitalfunctions as the designated super-tertiary referral center for the lower-northern provincesgiving medicalnursingdentaland allied health students clinical placement access to a regional-scale patient base spanning multiple provinces beyond Phitsanulok itself. The School of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (SGtech) engages with Thailand's energy sector through applied research such as performance analysis of a 7 MW grid-connected photovoltaic plantconnecting engineering students to real utility-scale renewable energy projects. The university has also signed exchange and cooperation MOUs with institutions such as Multimedia University (Malaysia) and Macau University of Science and Technologygiving students channels for international academic mobility tied to specific partner faculties.
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Campus & Student Life
Life beyond lectures
Housing
The university operates on-campus dormitories for domestic and international students, including two dedicated international dormitories with air-conditioned rooms, internet access, laundry facilities, keycard access, CCTV, and 24-hour security guards.
Sports Facilities
The campus includes sports facilities available to students, though specific named venues (stadium, gymnasium, swimming pool) were not independently confirmed in this research pass.
Student Clubs
Not Available
Library Resources
Naresuan University Library provides on-campus library services with access to online academic databases for students and faculty across its faculties.
Exchange Programs
Naresuan University holds MOUs with partner universities including Multimedia University (Malaysia, since 2017), Macau University of Science and Technology, and Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe (TH OWL, Germany), covering faculty and student exchange; it also runs its own short-term NU Cultural Exchange Program in Thailand (NU CEPT) for visiting international undergraduates.
Summer Programs
NU Cultural Exchange Program in Thailand (NU CEPT), a short-term (about 14-day) program introducing visiting international undergraduate students to Thai culture and campus life.