Universities & Courses in Saudi Arabia
Your guide to finding the best universities and courses in Saudi Arabia tailored to your academic and career goals.
How to Search
Study in Saudi lists universities and programmes in one place.
- Study in Saudi: The Ministry of Education's website for applying. Lists public and private universities and their programmes.
- NCAAA accreditation results: NCAAA is the Saudi university quality checker. Use it to see if a university is officially approved (accredited).
Study in Saudi lets you filter by region, such as Riyadh, Makkah or Eastern Province.
Tips
Check the language of teaching. KAUST and KFUPM teach in English.
Check whether your course is open to students from outside Saudi Arabia.
Types of Universities
Saudi Arabia has more than 50 public and private universities.
Key Characteristics:
- Listed on Study in Saudi.
Best For:
Scholarship students
Examples:
King Saud University (KSU), RiyadhKing Abdulaziz University, JeddahUmm al-Qura University, MakkahQassim University, Buraidah
Key Characteristics:
- Teaching in English.
- KAUST Fellowship: tuition covered, plus a living allowance (stipend).
Best For:
Master's and PhD students
Examples:
KAUST, Thuwal
Key Characteristics:
- Published fees.
Best For:
Self-funded students
Examples:
Alfaisal University, RiyadhPrince Sultan University, Riyadh
Note for International Students:Study in Saudi lists programme counts. Umm al-Qura University lists 201 programmes, Qassim University 173 and King Abdulaziz University 138.
Course Areas
Areas with clear options for international students.
KFUPM colleges: Engineering and Physics, Computing and Mathematics, Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, Chemicals and Materials.
KAUST master's and PhD in science and engineering.
The strongest area for funded master's and PhD study.
Why Saudi Arabia?
- Full scholarships at KFUPM and the KAUST Fellowship (tuition covered, plus a living allowance called a stipend).
KFUPM Business School, including a Master of Business Administration (MBA) where you pay fees.
Business courses at KFUPM.
KSU places where you pay fees, for students outside Saudi Arabia: Medicine and Surgery, General Dentistry, Doctor of Pharmacy, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Clinical Laboratory Sciences and more.
Prince Sultan University (PSU) medicine.
KSU opens places where you pay fees to students living outside Saudi Arabia.
Why Saudi Arabia?
- KSU medicine needs a score of 1200 or more in the SAT, an entrance test.
Degree Levels
Saudi universities offer diplomas, bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees, counted in credit hours (a credit hour is one hour of class each week for a semester).
Bachelor's
Common Examples
- King Saud University (KSU), places where you pay fees: Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing.
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM): engineering, computing, business and more.
Program Structure
thesis
credits
Counted in credit hours.
defense
research
coursework
internships
supervision
specialization
The first degree. Some start with a preparatory year.
Master's
Common Examples
- KFUPM master's with a long research paper (thesis), or with a project.
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) master's in science and engineering.
Program Structure
thesis
KFUPM offers a thesis route and a project route.
credits
defense
research
coursework
internships
supervision
specialization
A master's with classes, or one with research.
PhD
Common Examples
- KAUST PhD.
- KFUPM PhD, which you can join straight after a bachelor's.
Program Structure
thesis
Research and a thesis.
credits
defense
research
coursework
internships
supervision
specialization
Research degree, often funded.
Grades
KSU uses a GPA (grade point average) out of 5.
Universities to Know
Five universities with clear information for international students.
Specializations
- Engineering
- Computing
- Petroleum engineering
Highlights
- Courses taught in English.
- Over 87 nationalities on campus.
- No tuition for bachelor's students from outside Saudi Arabia.
Specializations
- Science
- Engineering
Highlights
- Master's and PhD only.
- Over 120 nationalities.
- KAUST Fellowship: tuition covered, plus a living allowance (stipend).
Specializations
- Medicine
- Health sciences
Highlights
- Scholarships for students from outside Saudi Arabia.
- Places where you pay fees for health sciences.
Private Universities
Private universities charge fees.
Why Special:
A private university with clear published fees.
Strengths:
- Bachelor's at 94,000 Saudi riyal (SAR) a year, the same for every bachelor's subject.
- Master's and PhD courses.
Why Special:
A private university that charges per credit hour.
Strengths:
- Officially approved (accredited) by NCAAA until 31 December 2031.
- Medicine programme.
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