Ain Shams University
جامعة عين شمس
One of Egypt's largest public universities, built around the Zaafarana Palace in Abbassia and home to a major medical school.
- Students
- 200,000
- International
- 7%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 14.3:1
- ratio
- Founded
- 1950
About ASU
Ain Shams University was founded in July 1950 as Ibrahim Pasha University, the third of Egypt's modern public universities after Cairo and Alexandria. It was built on the site of the Zaafarana Palace, named after the saffron fields that once surrounded it, and took its current name, the Arabic for Heliopolis, in the 1950s.
Today it is one of Egypt's largest universities. Its international student guide describes more than 200,000 students, including over 11,000 international students from more than 78 countries, 20 faculties plus a research institute, and more than 190 bachelor's and 600 postgraduate degrees spread over eight campuses in Greater Cairo. The main campus in Abbassia houses the administration in the Zaafarana Palace, the central library and student housing.
ASU is best known for medicine and health sciences, with a network of eleven university hospitals and medical facilities, and for its Faculty of Al-Alsun (languages), engineering and computer science. Many programmes are taught in Arabic, but medicine is taught in English and there is a growing range of English-taught and dual-degree credit-hour programmes, several with UK or Italian partner universities, at higher fees. It suits students who want a large, affordable public university in the heart of Cairo.
Why students choose ASU
ASU's international guide states that its medical degrees are taught in English, and the university runs eleven hospitals and medical facilities for clinical training.
Engineering offers dual and single degrees with the University of East London and other partners, from mechatronics to computer and artificial intelligence engineering.
The Faculty of Al-Alsun teaches an unusually wide range of languages, from French, German and Chinese to Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, Swahili, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese.
More than 11,000 international students from over 78 countries study at ASU, supported by a dedicated International Students and Mobility Office.
Admissions
2027-28 undergraduate entry (international students via Study in Egypt)
Selectivity
ASU does not publish an acceptance rate. Non-Egyptian applicants are nominated centrally by the Ministry of Higher Education's Central Administration for International Student Affairs through the Study in Egypt portal, based on their secondary-school certificate; some faculties also require an aptitude test.
Typical entry requirements
| High school diploma (international applicants) | A high school diploma or its equivalent, submitted through the Study in Egypt portal; faculty-specific aptitude test where required |
|---|
Deadlines
Application windows are set centrally on the Study in Egypt portal and were not published for 2027-28 on the pages checked. Contact info@study-in-egypt.gov.eg or the hotline 19064 for current dates.
How to apply
International (non-Egyptian) undergraduates apply online through the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education's Study in Egypt portal (admission.study-in-egypt.gov.eg), entering their name as in the passport and uploading a copy of the academic certificate, passport, a recent photo and any required aptitude test result, then paying the application fee. After receiving an initial nomination letter, students take original documents (diploma, passport copy, 7 photos, birth certificate, payment receipts and nomination letter) to ASU's International Students Office in Abbassia.
What admissions looks for
- A recognised secondary-school certificate that meets the faculty's requirements.
- Aptitude test results for faculties that require them.
- Complete, matching documents: the name on the application must match the passport, and originals must be presented after nomination.
Tips for applying to ASU
- 1 Apply through the Study in Egypt portal, not directly to ASU: the Ministry issues the nomination.
- 2 Bring 7 passport photos, your birth certificate and all payment receipts when you go to ASU's International Students Office after nomination.
- 3 If you want to study in English outside medicine, look for the programmes marked as special, credit-hour or dual-degree: they are taught in English but cost more.
- 4 Contact the faculty's international student coordinator (listed in ASU's guide) before applying to check programme language and requirements.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Fees for international (wafedeen) students are set by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and paid through the Study in Egypt system; ASU's own international guide does not list them, and English-taught credit-hour and dual-degree programmes carry higher fees. The university's International Students and Mobility Office advises on scholarships and procedures.
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters; some programmes use the credit-hour system
Medicine (7-year programme)
A 7-year programme (5 years plus a 2-year internship) taught in English, backed by eleven university hospitals and medical facilities.
Computer and Artificial Intelligence Engineering (University of East London)
One of the Faculty of Engineering's dual-degree programmes with UEL, alongside Mechatronics Engineering and Automation and Energy and Renewable Energy Engineering.
Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering
Part of ASU's mechanical engineering programmes, next to Automotive and Mechanical Power Engineering.
Al-Alsun Languages and Translation
Four-year BA programmes in more than 15 languages, some on the credit-hour system with translation tracks.
Computer and Information Sciences
A dedicated faculty for computing on the main Abbassia campus.
Research
- ASU's 2025 international guide cites 11 subjects in the global top 500 and two in the top 200 of the QS subject rankings (2024 edition).
- The university runs the Middle Eastern Affairs Center, which publishes a monthly journal, and the Arid Land Agricultural Graduate Studies and Research Institute.
- Its hospitals, including the ASU Specialized Hospital, support clinical research.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Nursing
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Al-Alsun (Languages)
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Business
- Faculty of Arts
Student life
ASU's main campus in Abbassia is centred on the Zaafarana Palace and includes University City, the student dormitory complex, along with the central library and sports facilities. Faculties are spread across eight campuses in Greater Cairo, including separate campuses for the Faculty of Women, Education and Agriculture. The international office organises trips such as visits to the Giza Pyramids and an International Cultural Day, and there is a centre for students with disabilities offering accessibility tools and support.
- University City dormitories on the main Abbassia campus.
- International Cultural Day and organised trips for international students.
- International students represent ASU in sports competitions.
- A Students with Disabilities Service Center providing braille, screen readers and learning support.
Housing. ASU has a large dormitory complex (University City) on its main campus with health and wellbeing facilities.
Location
ASU's campuses are in Greater Cairo, with the main campus in Abbassia, a central, busy district. Cairo is a megacity where pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic monuments sit alongside modern malls, the Cairo Opera House, theatres and life along the Nile.
Nearest airport: Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Notable alumni
- FE Farouk El-BazSpace scientist
- SI Sherif IsmailPrime Minister of Egypt (2015-2018)
- RA Rashad al-AlimiChairman of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen
- SS Sameh ShoukryEgypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs (2014-2024)
- AE Ammar El ShereiComposer
- Eİ Ekmeleddin İhsanoğluTurkish academic and diplomat
- AS Aida Seif el-DawlaHuman rights activist
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to Ain Shams University?
Through the Egyptian government's Study in Egypt portal (admission.study-in-egypt.gov.eg). After an initial nomination, you bring original documents to ASU's International Students Office in Abbassia.
Is Ain Shams medicine taught in English?
Yes. ASU's international guide states that its medical degrees are taught in English. The programme lasts seven years, including a two-year internship.
How many students does Ain Shams University have?
The university reports more than 200,000 students, including over 11,000 international students from more than 78 countries.
What is Ain Shams University's world ranking?
ASU is joint 551st in the QS World University Rankings 2027, 701-800 in ARWU 2026 and 801-1000 in the THE World University Rankings 2026.
Does Ain Shams offer programmes in English?
Yes. Medicine is taught in English, and several faculties, including Engineering and Al-Alsun, run special, credit-hour or dual-degree programmes (some in English) at higher fees.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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