If you are thinking about pursuing higher education in the Middle East, Kuwait is a country you should definitely consider. The country known for its oil reserves houses a number of quality universities and colleges, many of which have affiliations with prominent North American, European, and Australian institutions. Tuitions at most Kuwaiti universities and colleges are quite reasonable, while the cost of living here is comparable to that in most European countries. On top of that, it is one of the more liberal and secular countries you’ll find in the Arab world. So, choosing to study in this country won’t probably be a decision that you regret later. Below, you’ll find a list of six cheap universities in Kuwait for international students.
Cheap Kuwaiti Universities
1. Australian College of Kuwait
- Annual Tuition for International Students: USD 14,005 to USD 23,195
Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) is a private technical college in Kuwait that began its journey in 2004. It is situated in the Mubarak Al-Abdullah area, at a distance of fewer than 10 miles from downtown Kuwait City. ACK happens to be the country’s only private post-secondary institution to have received ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality assurance standards. It employs around 400 academic staff to impart higher education to its 3,000 students. This cheap university in Kuwait is primarily organized into three schools: School of Aviation, School of Business, and School of Engineering.
Through these schools, ACK facilitates nine diploma and six bachelor’s programs. Most of these programs are endorsed by either Central Queensland University in Australia or Cape Breton University in Canada. The programs under the School of Business have relatively lower tuitions than those under the School of Engineering and the School of Aviation.
2. Kuwait College of Science and Technology
- Annual Tuition for International Students: USD 17,310
Kuwait College of Science and Technology (KCST) is a relatively new private college that was founded as recently as 2015. Owned by the Company of Science and Technology for Higher Education (COSTHE), the college is located in the Doha area of Al Asimah Governorate, roughly 15 miles west of the Kuwaiti capital. It comprises four academic departments that together have about 60 academic staff, more than half of whom hold a Ph.D. degree.
At the moment, KCTS offers only three bachelor’s programs: Computer Science (BSc CS), Computer Engineering (BEng CE), and Electronic and Communications Engineering (BEng ECE). The BEng CE and BEng ECE programs each consist of nine semesters and run for a period of four and half years. The BSc CS program, on the other hand, is four years in length, consisting of eight semesters. Although master’s programs are currently not offered here, the college expects to launch them soon.
3. American University of Kuwait
- Annual Tuition for International Students: USD 20,775 to USD 22,750
American University of Kuwait (AUK) is sited in the Hawalli Governorate’s Salmiya area, at a distance of around 8 miles from downtown Kuwait City. It has been around since 2003. This cheap university in Kuwait is partnered with the prestigious Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The private university consists of three colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and College of Business & Economics. These colleges employ over a hundred academic staff who come from different countries across the globe, including the US, the UK, and Canada.
At AUK, 16 undergraduate programs are offered, including five Bachelor of Arts (BA), three Bachelor of Engineering (BE), two Bachelor of Science (BSc), and six Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programs. The engineering programs here are a tad more expensive than other programs in terms of tuition.
4. Gulf University for Science and Technology
- Annual Tuition for International Students: USD 20,775 to USD 23,740
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) began its journey in 2002 as Kuwait’s first private university. Its campus is sited on the Masjid Al Aqsa Street in the Mubarak Al-Abdullah area. GUST has about 170 academic staff, many of whom come from outside Kuwait. Its total enrollment stands at around 4,000, including 400-plus international students. It is one of the top 60 universities in the Arab region, according to the international university rankings firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Limited.
Among the bachelor’s programs at this cheap university in Kuwait, five are offered through the College of Arts & Sciences and six through the College of Business Administration. The latter college also offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. The university has been in a strategic partnership with the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) since its birth. A bunch of its students is awarded summer scholarships at UMSL and George Washington University every year.
5. American University of the Middle East
- Annual Tuition for International Students: USD 23,725 to USD 25,700
American University of the Middle East (AUM) is an Egaila-based private university with a campus encompassing approximately 40 acres of land. Starting off with less than 1,500 students in 2008, it is now home to over 10,400 students. The university currently employs a north of 700 academic staff, representing more than 60 nationalities. It is a subsidiary of HumanSoft Holding and is affiliated with Indiana-based Purdue University.
AUM is organized into two colleges: College of Engineering and Technology, and College of Business Administration. Through the College of Engineering and Technology, it facilitates eight bachelor’s (BSc) programs. The College of Business Administration, on the other hand, runs five bachelor’s (BS and BSBA) programs and an MBA program. Tuitions are a bit higher for the engineering programs than the business programs.
6. Maastricht School of Management Kuwait
- Annual Tuition for International Students: USD 22,735
Maastricht School of Management Kuwait (MSM Kuwait) came into being in 2003 as the Kuwaiti counterpart of the Netherlands-based Maastricht School of Management. This cheap university in Kuwait is positioned on Salem Al Jumaian Street in the Dasma area of Kuwait City. It is a postgraduate business school – thus, no undergraduate programs are offered here. So far, it has awarded MBA degrees to over 1,200 students.
At MSM Kuwait, the MBA program is available with three specializations: Banking and Finance, International Business, and Retail Management. The business school also offers a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program and a number of executive programs of varied length.
We hope that this article on cheap universities in Kuwait was helpful. If you are interested in studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
