Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, is a truly cosmopolitan city, and the central government is constantly increasing its budget for higher education. The country’s strategic location also attracts many foreign students—the flight to Dubai is just an hour and a half, and there are many low-cost carriers to choose from. So, a weekend shopping tour around the world’s biggest and most luxurious malls becomes feasible.
Saudi Arabia has nearly 20 universities among the Top 100 Universities in the Arab Region, and many graduate and postgraduate programs are taught in English. For this reason, we are going to look at the universities in Saudi Arabia with the highest acceptance rates.
Universities in Saudi Arabia with High Rates of Acceptance
1. Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University
Named after the sister of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University was initially founded in 1970 as Riyadh University for Women but changed its name in 2008. It was also the first higher education provider for women in Saudi Arabia. Now, thousands of students are pursuing their degrees in nearly 35 different colleges.
The central campus is located in the capital, Riyadh. This institution is most famous for its human medicine and dentistry colleges, which offer diploma, undergraduate, and graduate programs.
2. Effat University
Effat University was established in 1999 as one of the few all-women universities in Saudi Arabia. The institution was founded to empower women through education and leadership, and it was named after Queen Effat Al-Thunayan, the wife of King Faisal. Being the first private institution in the country, it has gained a reputation for excellence and has connections around the world.
It is organized into four significant colleges: the College of Engineering, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Business College, and the College of Architecture and Design. Effat University’s Graduate School offers a Master’s in Islamic Financial Management, Urban Design, and Translation Studies.
3. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Established in 2009, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, or KAUST as it is known for short, is a small private institution that offers only postgraduate programs. Interestingly, all of them are taught in English, and it is the first mixed-gender school in Saudi Arabia. The academic focus is on environmental protection, conservation, and sustainable natural resources management.
Moreover, the institution’s cutting-edge research centers and laboratories contribute to its excellent reputation. Its graduate students can choose from various disciplines, especially engineering and science. Its most popular master’s programs at KAUST are bioscience, environmental science and engineering, and marine science.
4. Umm al-Qura University
Umm al-Qura University began in 1949 as the College of Shari’ah, founded in Makkah by King Abdulaziz. This school became the first in the Kingdom and the foundation for the current institution. Its main campus is located in the sacred area of the Muslim city of Mecca. At that time, the academic focus was mostly on Islamic Law and Arabic Language.
Since then, the university has diversified its academic portfolio with various undergraduate and graduate programs. While it is known for its strong emphasis on Islamic education and research, it also provides diverse academic programs in various fields for interested students. These include engineering, medicine, education, and technology programs.
5. Alfaisal University
Next on our list of universities in Saudi Arabia with high acceptance rates is Alfaisal University, established in 2002 in the country’s capital, Riyadh. This higher education provider offers several bachelor’s programs taught in its five colleges: Science, Pharmacy, Business, Engineering, and Human Medicine.
The most popular master’s programs are nanoscience and biomedical and health sciences. Alfaisal University is also known for collaborating with famous companies that can help its students in the future. These include Shell, Boeing, Thales, King Faisal Specialist Hospital, and BAE Systems.
6. King Abdulaziz University
King Abdulaziz University was established in 1967 as a private institution named after the founding father of Saudi Arabia. In 1976, it became a public institution. Now, it is a really big higher education provider with over 180,000 students, and its main campus is located in the city of Jeddah.
It has 24 different faculties, the most popular of which are the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and the English Language Institute. All of them offer various graduate and undergraduate programs. It is a very selective university, with an average acceptance rate for the latest admissions cycle of around 20-30 percent.
We hope this article on Saudi Arabia’s universities with high acceptance rates was insightful. If you want to study abroad, check out the Saudi Arabia Page and the Available Programs for International Students to explore your options!
