Patna University

What Patna University does

Patna University is a public state university in Bihar, India, established in 1917 and operated by the Government of Bihar. It is one of the oldest universities in the country and delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs through 31 departments, 3 institutes, and 10 constituent colleges organized across 8 faculties spanning Science, Humanities, Commerce, Law, Medicine, Engineering, and Education. Admissions are processed through the SAMARTH portal, and the university maintains a Centre for Distance Education to extend reach beyond on-campus enrollment.

The institution's core academic assets include a curated archive of 5,436 rare manuscripts, NAAC B+ accreditation, and a recognized alumni network that includes India's first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. A dedicated R&D Cell was established in 2022 and has sanctioned 35+ research projects with 70+ under consideration, signaling an institutional push toward organized, project-based research output.

The business model is funded through a combination of tuition fees, recurring state-government grants, and project-based funding from national schemes such as PM-USHA, under which it secured a ₹100 crore transformation grant in 2022. The university supplements income through international and national academic partnerships — including with Sam Houston State University (USA), institutions in Poland, ICGEB, and TISS — that enable student/faculty exchange, joint research, and sponsored-project overhead. A ₹147 crore academic and administrative build-out completed in March 2026 signals continued capital reinvestment in physical and program infrastructure.

Name

Patna University

Legal name

Patna University

Website

https://pup.ac.in

Company type

Public

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Patna University is a public state university in Bihar, India, established in 1917 and operated by the Government of Bihar. It delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across 31 departments and 10 constituent colleges, funded primarily through tuition fees and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Higher Education Capacity Building & Scholarships (BPADAKAG), University/Institutional Scholarships & Tuition Waivers (EDAIAOAG), Diploma-to-Degree / Articulation & Credit-Transfer Pathways (EDAIAJAG)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Postgraduate programs
• Doctoral research
• Distance education

Headquarters

HQ city

Patna

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue generated from student fees across undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and certificate programs including regular, self-financing, and vocational courses

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Patna University is a public state university delivering higher education across 8 faculties, 31 departments, 3 institutes, and 10 constituent colleges, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, diploma, certificate, vocational, and distance education programs. It generates revenue primarily from student tuition and academic fees and is supported by government grants. It also provides an automated library, placement services, and an academic journal.

Product overview

Patna University operates as a traditional educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic products and services. The core offerings include the SAMARTH Portal for admissions and grievances, the Admission Portal 2026 for undergraduate and postgraduate enrollment, Examination Portal for result management, Student Registration Portal, and the Patna University Library with extensive physical and digital resources. Additional services include Placement Cell for career services, Alumni Association for graduate networking, the Patna University Journal for research publication, and the Directorate of Distance Education for remote learning programs. The university delivers programs across 31 departments, 3 institutes, and 10 constituent colleges using the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Four-year honours and three-year bachelor's degree programs across arts, science, commerce, law, and professional disciplines including BBA LLB (5-year integrated) under the CBCS system, offered to prospective undergraduate students in Bihar and beyond.
• Postgraduate Degree Programs Master's degree programs across 31 departments including professional courses such as MBA, LLM, and MEd, offered as both regular and self-financing modes to graduates seeking advanced education.
• Doctoral (Ph.D.) Research Programs PhD coursework and research degrees across 37 subjects including sciences, humanities, social sciences, and law, available to scholars seeking advanced research qualifications, with thesis upload facilitated on Shodh Ganga (Inflibnet).
• PG Diploma, UG Diploma, and Certificate Programs Postgraduate diplomas, undergraduate advance diplomas, diplomas, and certificate courses offered across disciplines, providing shorter, focused qualifications alongside full degree programs.
• Patna University SAMARTH Portal Online portal for student admissions, grievance redressal, and examination management across arts, science, and commerce faculties.
• Admission Portal 2026 Dedicated undergraduate and postgraduate admission portal for the 2026 academic session, supporting regular, self-financing, and apprenticeship embedded degree programs.
• Examination Portal Online portal providing examination schedules, results, and admit card downloads for undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
• Student Registration Portal Online registration system for undergraduate and postgraduate students, including LLB, LLM, BEd, and MEd programs.
• Patna University Library Fully automated library holding over 236,000 books including 5,436 rare manuscripts and 100,000 unique titles, serving more than 300 daily visitors.
• Placement Cell Services Career services facilitating campus placements, including TCS pooled off-campus drives and mega job fairs, for graduating students.
• Patna University Alumni Association Alumni network platform facilitating alumni meets, membership registration, and networking for the institution's graduates.
• Patna University Journal Academic journal publishing original research articles across disciplines, supporting the university's research and scholarly output.
• Directorate of Distance Education Distance education unit offering e-learning and web-based learning programs for students unable to attend on-campus instruction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Women comprise over 70% of total enrollment
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sam Houston State University (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic collaboration for research and student/faculty exchange programs between Patna University and Sam Houston State University in Texas, USA
• International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New DelhicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration in biotechnology and genetic engineering between Patna University and ICGEB New Delhi for advanced scientific research
• Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), MumbaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with premier social sciences institution for knowledge sharing and research collaboration
• Indo-European Education Foundation, PolandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational education partnership facilitating cross-cultural academic exchange between India and Europe through foundation in Poland
• Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, PusacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with agricultural university for interdisciplinary research in agricultural sciences and related fields

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lucknow University: Public state university in Uttar Pradesh established in 1920 with NAAC A+ accreditation and multi-faculty structure. Comparable as a peer Indian state university with similar program mix and government ownership structure.
• Banaras Hindu University (BHU): Central public university established in 1916 with multi-faculty structure spanning arts, science, commerce, law, and medicine. Directly comparable as a large legacy public university in eastern/northern India with similar constituent college model.
• University of Delhi: Premier public university in India established in 1922 with multi-campus structure, NAAC A+ accredited, and similar public/government ownership model. Directly comparable as a legacy public university offering UG, PG, and doctoral programs across diverse faculties.
• University of Allahabad: Historic public university established in 1887 in Uttar Pradesh with similar UG/PG programs across arts, science, commerce, and law faculties. Comparable as a legacy regional public university with state university status.
• Magadh Mahila College: Constituent women's college of Patna University offering arts, science, and commerce programs. Directly comparable as a constituent college of the same university ecosystem with shared administration and accreditation.
• Bihar National College (B.N. College): Constituent college of Patna University offering UG programs in arts, science, and commerce. Directly comparable as an affiliated/constituent unit operating under Patna University's academic framework with shared governance and student base.

Regional players

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna: Premier engineering and technology institute established in 2008 in Bihar. Comparable as another higher education institution based in Bihar serving state-level students, though focused specifically on STEM disciplines rather than comprehensive arts/commerce offerings.

Emerging players

• Nalanda University: Re-established international university located in Bihar with focus on multidisciplinary research and studies. Comparable as another Bihar-based higher education institution with growing research orientation, though newer and smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Aligarh Muslim University (AMU): Central public university established in 1920 with comprehensive multi-faculty structure spanning law, medicine, engineering, and humanities. Comparable as a larger legacy public university with established international research footprint.

Others

• Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Patna University