Rajabhat University system


The Rajabhat Universities are a group of public universities in Thailand that were originally founded as teacher training colleges.
In 1995, the Thai government elevated existing teacher training colleges to so-called Rajabhat Institutes. The transformation expanded the legal mandate of these institutions, granting them the authority to confer postgraduate degrees, including doctorates. Rajabhat Institutes were further transformed to Rajabhat Universities in 2005, allowing the institutions to function as independent universities.
There are currently 38 Rajabhat Universities. They are generally considered easier to gain admission to than the traditional public universities. Most Rajabhat Universities offer graduate degrees, some even to the doctoral level. Enrollments have been shrinking., students numbered 540,000, down from 600,000.

Name

The Royal Institute Dictionary defines ราชภัฏ as "civil servant". The word is derived from Sanskrit rājabhaṭa, a combination of rāja and bhaṭa.

List of Rajabhat Universities

Bangkok group