Founded in 1959, Tribhuvan University, Nepal's first national university, was geared towards modernization through a national system of higher education. It was named after Late Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev. The University has sixty-two campuses of its own and hundred and thirty-four private campuses affiliated to it. The student enrolment in Tribhuvan University's constituent campuses is about 92,000 and in the affiliated campuses the total enrolment estimate is 40,000. Today, the University is an academic home for about 150,000 students and about 5,500 faculty members. On the support service side, the University has about 2,300 people working on administration, about 1500 on technical jobs and about 3,200 on utility services.

Tribhuvan University has the following faculties, each headed by a Dean:

• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Management
• Law
• Education

The facilities of Humanities and Social Sciences run programs on a wide range of liberal arts subjects, and the faculties of Management, Law and Education provides professional studies.

The University has the following Institutes, each headed by a Dean:

• Science and Technology
• Engineering
• Forestry
• Agriculture and Animal Science
• Medicine

The University has the following research centers, each headed by an Executive Director:

• Center for Economic Development & Administration (CEDA)
• Center for Nepal & Asian Studies (CNAS)
• Research Center for Applied Sciences & Technology (RECAST)
• Center for Educational Research & Development (CERAD)

Academic levels set by the University is as follows:

• Proficiency
• Bachelor
• Master
• Ph. D

With the promulgation of the New Education System Plan (NESP) in 1972 and the establishment of Institute of Medicine (IOM) under the Tribhuvan University, the era of formal education in Medicine started in Nepal.

Empowered with a mandate to train all categories of health manpower, IOM started very humbly by producing grassroots level and mid-level health workers. Community Medicine Auxiliary (CMA), assistant Nurse Midwives (ANM), Auxiliary Ayurved Worker (AAW) programs are examples of basic level manpower. Similarly, technician/ proficiency certificate programs like Ayurved, Nursing, General Medicine, Health Laboratory, Pharmacy, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Health Education and Sanitation are examples of middle level manpower. In 1978, the MBBS program was commenced.

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) was established in 1983 with the primary objective of providing clinical experience to the students of postgraduate, undergraduate and certificate level programs conducted by Tribhuvan University, Institute of Medicine. It is a 400 bed general hospital with different departments. The hospital consists of various facilities such as out patient departments, casualty, X-ray equipment with mammography, physiometry section, clinical laboratory, eight operation theatres, physiotherapy, intensive care, coronary care, central supply section, nurse section in the central diagnostic treatment departments. It also has wards, lecture and library.

The MBBS program of Tribhuvan University is recognized by several Medical Councils including the Nepal Medical Council, Medical Council of India, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council, Sri Lanka Medical Council and the British Medical Council.