How Higher Education Works in Cambodia: Universities, Degrees and Admission
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Feb 09, 2025 • Study in Southeast Asia
Cambodia has 132 higher education institutions, 48 public and 84 private, spread across 16 government ministries. Accreditation through the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia is voluntary, not required by law, so a degree can exist without it.
🎓 132 institutions nationwide: 48 public, 84 private, under 16 government ministries
📩 Degree ladder: foundation year, associate degree, bachelor's (4 years total), master's (2 years), doctorate (3 years)
🏠 Two accrediting bodies: ACC for higher education, NTB for technical and vocational training
⏱️ Only 39 institutions gained ACC accreditation between 2019 and 2023
Who regulates higher education in Cambodia
Cambodia's higher education sector runs through 132 institutions: 48 public and 84 private. These sit under the supervision of 16 different government ministries rather than one single authority. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) directly oversees 84 of them, 13 public and 71 private, while the rest fall under ministries tied to their specialty, such as health or agriculture.
This split structure means the ministry that approves your program depends on your field. A nursing degree, for example, answers to different oversight than a business degree, even though both count as higher education.
The degree structure
Cambodia follows a credit-based ladder similar to other ASEAN systems. After secondary school, most students who go to university start with one foundation year, sometimes called a pre-university year, before moving into their main program.
| Level | Length |
|---|---|
| Foundation year | 1 year |
| Associate degree | 2 years |
| Bachelor's degree | 4 years total (2 more years after the associate stage) |
| Master's degree | 2 years |
| Doctoral degree | 3 years |
Universities structure the associate-to-bachelor's transition either as one continuous 4-year program or as a separate exit point at the associate level, depending on the institution. Check your target university's program page for how it splits the two stages.
Accreditation: what it means and why it is not automatic
Two bodies handle accreditation in Cambodia. The Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC) accredits higher education programs and institutions, while the National Training Board (NTB) accredits technical and vocational training. Between 2019 and 2023, ACC accredited 39 institutions, 16 public and 23 private.
Accreditation in Cambodia is voluntary rather than a legal requirement, so a university operates and issues degrees without ACC accreditation. This matters if you plan to use your Cambodian degree for further study abroad or for a licensed profession, since some foreign universities and employers ask specifically for accredited-program transcripts. Verify a university's accreditation status with ACC directly before you enrol, rather than assuming a well-known name is automatically accredited.
Public versus private universities
Public universities, like the Royal University of Phnom Penh, generally charge lower tuition and carry stronger name recognition domestically, but they also run more selective entrance requirements. Private universities cover a wider spread, from long-established institutions with international partnerships to newer, smaller colleges, and they generally run more open admission alongside higher tuition.
Language of instruction also differs. Public universities generally teach in Khmer, sometimes with English-medium tracks for select programs, while many private universities, especially those with international partnerships, teach primarily in English. Confirm the language of instruction for your specific program before you apply, since it affects both your test requirements and your day-to-day coursework.
Both public and private categories include institutions overseen directly by MoEYS and institutions overseen by specialized ministries, so the public or private label alone does not tell you which ministry approved a specific program.
What this means for your planning
Before you shortlist a Cambodian university, confirm three things directly with the institution: which ministry oversees your specific program, whether ACC has accredited it, and how the university structures its associate-to-bachelor's pathway. These three answers shape whether your degree transfers smoothly to further study or work outside Cambodia.