Quick Summary
Kuwait University, founded in 1966 as Kuwait's first public university, has grown from four founding colleges to 17 colleges offering 76 undergraduate and 71 graduate programs. It is now based at the purpose-built Sabah Al-Salem University City, a roughly 6-million-square-meter campus split between humanities/science and health sciences sections. As the country's only comprehensive national university, it plays an outsized role in training Kuwait's physicians, engineers, and civil servants, with research ties to the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research supporting its petroleum engineering programs.
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Institutional Profile
Who they are
Kuwait University was established by Amiri Decree in 1966 as Kuwait's first public university, beginning with four colleges (Science, Arts, Education, and a College for Women) before expanding to its current 17 colleges. Its move to the purpose-built Sabah Al-Salem University City consolidated colleges previously scattered across Kuwait City into a single roughly 6-million-square-meter campus, split between an 11-college humanities and science campus and a separate 5-college health sciences campus. As the country's sole comprehensive national university, it trains a large share of Kuwait's physicians, engineers, lawyers, and civil servants, giving graduates direct pathways into public-sector and state-linked energy careers.
Subject Strengths
Ranked among Kuwait's top-placed programs for Medicine & Health in QS World University Rankings by Subject; the university also fields QS-ranked programs in Engineering and Business & Management Studies.
Founded1966
TypePublic
Total Students39891
Intl StudentsNot Available
Faculty RatioApproximately 23:1, based on roughly 39,891 students and 1,695 faculty members reported for the Sabah Al-Salem University City campus
CampusPurpose-built university city (Sabah Al-Salem University City, Al-Shadadiya), replacing the university's previous scattered Khaldiya-area campuses
Campus SizeApproximately 6,000,000 square meters at Sabah Al-Salem University City, comprising a 4,000,000 square meter campus for 11 humanities and science colleges and a 2,000,000 square meter health sciences campus for 5 medical colleges
Affiliated HospitalsMubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital is the College of Medicine's primary teaching hospital; the college also uses Al-Amiri, Al-Adan, Maternity, Farwaniya, Jahra, Ahmadi, Sabah, Chest Diseases, Al-Razi, and Psychiatric Hospitals, along with Ibn Sina Hospital, for clinical teaching.
AccreditationEstablished under Kuwaiti Amiri Decree Law No. 29 of 1966; degree programs are recognized by Kuwait's Ministry of Higher Education, with select engineering and business programs holding ABET and AACSB accreditation respectively.
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Global Standing
Three independent ranking systems
QS World 2026
#781
Quacquarelli Symonds
Times Higher Ed
#1201-1500
THE World University
ARWU Shanghai
Not Available
Academic Ranking
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Academics & Research
What you can study
The university comprises 17 colleges offering 76 undergraduate and 71 graduate programs, spanning Arts, Science, Engineering and Petroleum, Medicine, Allied Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Law, Sharia and Islamic Studies, Social Sciences, Education, Business Administration, Life Sciences, Architecture, and Computing.
Programs
PhD programs are offered in select fields including Arabic Language, Microbiology, and specific Engineering and Science disciplines, generally through the College of Graduate Studies.
PhD Programs
Not Available
Online Programs
Kuwait University research is organized through its College of Graduate Studies research sector and college-based centers; the university also collaborates with the semi-independent Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), whose Petroleum Research Center and Energy and Building Research Center partner with academic institutions on enhanced oil recovery, reservoir characterization, and energy-transition research relevant to Kuwait University's Petroleum Engineering programs.
Research Centers
Kuwait University is tracked in the Nature Index, with affiliated researchers publishing across the roughly 145 high-quality journals the index monitors in a rolling 12-month window. The university publishes the Kuwait Journal of Science, a Scopus-indexed journal with a 2024 Impact Factor of 1.43 and an h-index of 22. Research strength concentrates in Medicine & Health, where the university holds its strongest QS subject placement in Kuwait, and in petroleum-related engineering fields, an area shaped by Kuwait's oil economy and the university's ties to KISR's Petroleum Research Center.
Research Output
Established under Kuwaiti Amiri Decree Law No. 29 of 1966; degree programs are recognized by Kuwait's Ministry of Higher Education, with select engineering and business programs holding ABET and AACSB accreditation respectively.
Accreditation
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Admissions Brief
What it takes to get in
Entry Requirements
Acceptance RateNot Available
IELTSNot Available
TOEFLNot Available
Min GPANot Available
GRENot Available
GMATNot Available
SATNot Available
ACTNot Available
Key Dates
FALLApplication Deadline · Online applications for the first semester of the 2026/2027 academic year opened July 18, 2026 and closed July 28, 2026, per Kuwait University's official admissions announcement.
SPRINGApplication Deadline · Applications for the second semester of the 2025/2026 academic year were announced separately by Kuwait University; exact spring intake dates are set annually and published on the university's Admission Department site (do.ku.edu.kw).
MAR-APRDecisions Released
Required Documents
TranscriptsSOPEnglish ScoresLORsPassport
Insider Tip
Most colleges require the university's own Academic Aptitude Test in Mathematics, English, and Arabic, but the College of Science and the College of Law are specifically exempted from this requirement. Applicants can substitute an existing TOEFL, TOEFL iBT, or IELTS score for the English component of the Aptitude Test if submitted before the application window closes, which can save international applicants from sitting an additional exam. Because the application window is short, typically about ten days, as with the July 18-28, 2026 cycle, applicants should prepare required documents well before the portal opens rather than during the window itself.
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Cost Ledger
Amounts in Kuwaiti Dinar
UG Tuition
KD100/yr
per year · KWD
Application Fee
$32
one time · USD
Scholarships AvailableFully funded graduate scholarships are available to eligible students, covering tuition fees, monthly housing/living expenses, an annual return airline ticket, and an annual allowance for clothing, books, and supplies, administered through the College of Graduate Studies.
Financial AidFinancial aid for Kuwaiti nationals is built into the country's subsidized public-university system, and separate need-based university housing eligibility is assessed on student and family residency and social circumstances; the College of Graduate Studies administers scholarship-linked financial support for eligible graduate students.
Work-StudyAcademic assistantship positions are available to Master's and PhD students, involving defined responsibilities, duration, and remuneration under the College of Graduate Studies' assistantship policies.
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Featured & Popular Programs
A sample from The university comprises 17 colleges offering 76 undergraduate and 71 graduate programs, spanning Arts, Science, Engineering and Petroleum, Medicine, Allied Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Law, Sharia and Islamic Studies, Social Sciences, Education, Business Administration, Life Sciences, Architecture, and Computing. programs total
| Program | Level | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |
| Civil Engineering | MASTER | 1-2 YRS |
| Business Administration | PHD | 3-5 YRS |
| Petroleum Engineering | MBA | 12-24 MO |
| Accounting | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |
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Career Outcomes
Where graduates land
Not Available
Average Salary After Graduation
Not Available
Employment Rate
Industry Connections
The College of Engineering and Petroleum's programs connect to Kuwait's state-linked energy sector through research ties with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)whose Petroleum Research Center partners with academic institutions on upstream oil-sector technology. As Kuwait's founding national universityKuwait University also supplies a substantial share of the civil servicejudiciary (via its College of Law)and religious-affairs professions (via its College of Sharia and Islamic Studies) in a country where these paths are closely tied to Kuwaiti citizenship requirements.
Notable Alumni
Khaled Mashal, former chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, holds a physics degree from Kuwait University. Huzama Habayeb, a Palestinian novelist and multiple-award-winning author, graduated from Kuwait University in 1987 with a BA in English Language and Literature. Faiza Al-Kharafi, a chemistry professor, served as Kuwait University's rector from 1993 to 2002, becoming the first woman to head a public university in the Arab world.
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Campus & Student Life
Life beyond lectures
Housing
University housing is available and allocated based on student and family residency status and social circumstances under the university's accommodation regulations; fully funded graduate scholarships separately cover monthly housing costs for eligible recipients.
Sports Facilities
Dedicated athletics infrastructure at Sabah Al-Salem University City includes dedicated sports facilities such as swimming pools, multi-purpose sports halls, and outdoor fields, built as part of the university's new-campus construction program.
Student Clubs
College-level student societies operate within Kuwait University's 17 colleges, including engineering and medical student associations tied to their respective faculties.
Library Resources
The Jaber Al-Ahmad Central Library serves as the university's main library at Sabah Al-Salem University City, alongside college-specific libraries such as the medical library serving the health sciences campus.
Exchange Programs
Kuwait University maintains bilateral academic cooperation agreements and faculty/student exchange arrangements through its International Relations and cooperation offices, coordinated at the college and university level.
Summer Programs
Not Available