Nepal's journalism classrooms are emptying out

Classrooms that once buzzed with aspiring reporters are now falling silent across Nepal, signaling a deep crisis in the country's journalism sector. Programs that previously attracted students from across the nation are being shut down as enrollment numbers dwindle.

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We had no option but to shut down the department.

Janapremi World School in Bhaktapur, which once saw 76 students enroll in a single journalism batch, has not admitted new students for four years and has since closed its department. "We had no option but to shut down the department," said Principal Nilesh Acharya. While other programs like science and management remain popular, journalism has lost its appeal.

This trend is national. Data from the National Examination Board shows a sharp decline in schools offering journalism and mass communication at the plus-two level, dropping from 209 in 2022-23 to 105 in 2026-27. Student enrollment saw a similar collapse, from 4,303 to 1,303 over the same period. University enrollment at Tribhuvan University has also halved, from 2,760 bachelor's students in 2020-21 to 1,132 in 2024-25.

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Most students who come to us for counselling ask which subject would be best if they want to go abroad.

Teachers and administrators cite several factors: a shrinking media landscape, meager salaries, delayed payments, job insecurity, and a strong preference among students for overseas education. "Most students who come to us for counselling ask which subject would be best if they want to go abroad," Acharya noted. The perception that journalism offers few secure career opportunities at home further fuels this exodus, as the wider media industry struggles to provide stable jobs and decent working conditions.

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Journalism itself is in a problematic state.