Study and find schools in Laos

Studying in Laos

Laos (officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lao PDR) is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia with Vientiane as its capital. According to the Lao Statistics Bureau, the country had about 7.7 million inhabitants in 2025, spread over 18 provinces and the capital. The national tourism authority describes a population of 49 ethnicities and 160 ethnic groups. Lao is the national language and the main language of teaching. English is one of the subjects of the university entrance exam, and the main university hosts French, Chinese and Japanese cooperation centres.

The higher-education sector is small and mostly public. For an international student, Laos is less a place for a full degree than for exchange semesters, research stays, development studies, Lao language and fieldwork in fields such as agriculture, forestry and the environment. Our directory lists one active school in Laos: the National University of Laos in Dongdok, on the edge of Vientiane.

The education system in Laos

Education is run by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES). Public higher education is built around a small group of public universities. In a 2025 Erasmus+ project on higher-education reform, the ministry worked with four of them: the National University of Laos (NUOL) in Vientiane, Souphanouvong University in Luang Prabang, Champassak University and Savannakhet University. The project, coordinated by the University of Groningen with the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the University of Poitiers among its European partners, aims to introduce outcomes-based programmes and internal quality assurance, and to improve student mobility across ASEAN and Europe.

University qualifications follow the usual levels:

• Higher diploma programmes
• Bachelor's degrees, including continuing bachelor's programmes for diploma holders
• Master's degrees
• Doctorates (PhD)

The National University of Laos was established on 5 November 1996 under Prime Minister's Decree No. 50/PM of 9 June 1995, by merging higher-education institutions that had been run by different ministries. According to the university, it is the first comprehensive university in the country. It has faculties of Architecture, Economics and Business Management, Social Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, Forestry, Language Education, Sport Sciences, Engineering, Water Resources, Law and Political Sciences, Agriculture and Education, spread over several campuses: Dongdok, Sokpaluang, Nabong, Donnok Khum and Tadthong. It also lists an "international curriculum" among its programmes.

Admission and recognition

Lao school leavers enter university through an entrance examination. At NUOL the 2023 placement test was a one-day paper exam in two streams, Part A (STEM) and Part B (non-STEM), covering subjects such as mathematics, physics, Lao language and literature, geography, history and English; candidates paid a fee of 40,000 kip. Government scholarships are allocated each year through the Ministry of Education and Sports to Lao students.

International students usually come through an agreement between universities rather than through the national exam. According to NUOL, it has signed 155 memoranda of understanding and agreements with universities and organisations from 29 countries, and its Office of International Relations has a section for international exchange activities. The practical route is therefore to ask your home university whether it has an exchange agreement with a Lao university, or to contact the university's international office directly about admission, the language of teaching and recognition of credits. For recognition back home, check with your own university or ministry before you go, as Laos is still introducing the outcomes-based and credit-transfer practices described in the REAL project.

Student visa and residence

Every visitor needs a visa to enter Laos. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the official Lao eVisa on 9 July 2019. According to the eVisa site (checked October 2026):

• Only tourist visas can be requested online
• An eVisa is valid for a single entry and allows a stay of 30 days
• Processing usually takes 3 working days
• The passport must be valid for more than 180 days from the date of arrival
• The eVisa can be used at designated entry points such as Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I and the railway stations at Boten and Khamsavath

Because the eVisa covers tourism only, a student staying for a semester or longer needs a different visa. Ask the host university, which normally provides the invitation letter, and the Lao embassy or consulate that covers your country well before departure.

Costs

There is no official national table of tuition fees for international students. Fees for exchange students are usually set by the agreement between the two universities, and other students should ask the host university for its current fees in writing. For living costs, note that prices have been rising quickly: the Lao Statistics Bureau reported year-on-year inflation of 7.8% in September 2026.

Where to study

Vientiane is the centre of higher education and the seat of the National University of Laos, whose main campus is in Dongdok village, Xaythany district. The other public universities are in Luang Prabang in the north and in Savannakhet and Champassak provinces in the south, which makes them options for students interested in regional development, agriculture or tourism. NUOL also hosts a Francophone centre, Confucius Institutes and the Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute, which shows the range of its international partnerships.

Practical life

Daily life outside Vientiane is quieter and less international, and services in English can be limited, so a basic knowledge of Lao helps a great deal. Take out travel and health insurance that covers your whole stay and medical evacuation, keep copies of your passport and visa documents, and plan around public holidays such as Lao New Year in mid-April, when official offices close.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study a full degree in Laos as a foreign student?

It is possible but uncommon. Most programmes are taught in Lao, so most international students come on exchange agreements, research stays or short programmes arranged with a university such as the National University of Laos.

Do I need a visa to study in Laos?

Yes. All visitors need a visa, and the online eVisa covers tourist visas of 30 days only, so students need a visa arranged with the host university and the Lao embassy or consulate.

Which is the main university in Laos?

The National University of Laos in Vientiane, founded in 1996, is the country's first comprehensive university and has 13 faculties.

Are there links between Lao and Spanish universities?

Yes. The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid is a partner in REAL, an Erasmus+ project with the Ministry of Education and Sports and four public Lao universities to reform programmes and quality assurance.