Few Tibetan nuns escaped in the early years of exile. When they arrived and sought refuge in India, they found there were no nunneries. Nunneries like Dolma Ling, Shugseb, Gadhen Ling, Jamyang Ling and others were subsequently established for refugee nuns from Tibet in the late 1980s. The nunneries were built by the nuns who laid bricks with their own hands.

Exile has opened up new educational opportunities for nuns. Dolma Ling Nunnery became the first institute dedicated to providing higher Buddhist education for nuns. Nuns study the 17-year long traditional monastic curriculum, which is comprised of Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan language, the practice of debate and training in ritual arts such as creating sand mandalas and butter sculptures. Their education has expanded to include English, basic mathematics, science and computer skills. Nuns acquire self-sufficiency skills such as tofu making and handicrafts and manage the overall life of their community. Upon graduation, they receive the Geshema degree, equivalent to the Geshe degree for monks. In May 2016, 20 nuns became the first group of nuns in Buddhist history to receive the Geshema.

The Tibetan Nuns Project was established in 1987 to address the lack of educational opportunities for nuns. Before the project, higher-level education for nuns was rarely available, creating an education gap between monks and nuns. The project has closed this gap. Qualified nuns can now teach and lead. The debating practice that nuns undertake daily and the annual Jang Gönchoe inter-nunnery debate have been highly beneficial to nuns enabling them to expand their understanding of Buddhist philosophical texts and allowing them to develop skills that are tested during the Geshema exams.