Al-Azhar University
جامعة الأزهر
Cairo's centuries-old centre of Islamic learning, now a university with more than 100 faculties, many of them separate for men and women.
- Students
- 281,032
- International
- 11%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 21.6:1
- ratio
- Founded
- 970
About Al-Azhar
Al-Azhar began as a mosque in Cairo in the tenth century, and the university's own history page dates its foundation to 970 CE (it also gives 972 CE). The university describes itself as the oldest continuing educational and religious institution in the Islamic world. In 1961 it was reorganised as a modern university, and in 1970 it added science, medical and engineering faculties alongside its Islamic and Arabic ones.
Today the university says it has more than 100 faculties spread across Cairo and other Egyptian governorates, including Assiut, Damietta, Tanta and Qena. Its faculty directory covers Islamic law, Arabic language, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence, agriculture, commerce and education. Many faculties are organised separately for men and for women, so the faculty you apply to depends on your gender as well as your subject.
Times Higher Education's 2026 data lists about 281,000 students, of whom 11% are international, while U.S. News lists 46,111 students, so published totals differ by publisher; either way Al-Azhar is among the largest universities in this catalogue. It suits students who want to study Islamic sciences and Arabic at their historic source, or a professional degree such as medicine or pharmacy in Egypt. Applicants should expect an administrative process that runs mostly in Arabic and through the university's own international student portal.
Why students choose Al-Azhar
It is the historic centre of Sunni Islamic scholarship, with faculties of Sharia and law, Islamic and Arabic studies, and Quran sciences.
It offers professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, engineering and computer science and artificial intelligence, all listed in its faculty directory.
International applicants use a dedicated online portal (international.azu.edu.eg) that handles registration, document upload and fee payment in Egyptian pounds through Fawry.
The university reports an alumni network in more than 100 countries, useful for students planning careers in religious scholarship, teaching or international organisations.
Admissions
2027 entry (international applicants)
Selectivity
Al-Azhar does not publish an acceptance rate. Placement of international students depends on the faculty's rules and on its gender-specific faculty structure.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school certificate | Upload a clear scan of the high school certificate, a personal photo and a passport valid for at least six months from the date of application, all under the same name |
|---|
Deadlines
The international portal accepts applications only when an admission semester is open, and Al-Azhar has not published 2027 dates on the pages we could reach. Check the portal directly.
How to apply
Register on the Al-Azhar international portal (international.azu.edu.eg), enter personal and secondary-school details, upload the documents, pay the admission fee online through Fawry in Egyptian pounds (the portal blocks preference selection until it is paid), then choose faculty preferences. The nomination is preliminary until the documents are verified and authenticated, and original documents must be submitted by the university's deadline. The applicant must not have studied at Al-Azhar before, and applicants with an Egyptian mother must declare it and provide proof.
What admissions looks for
- A valid secondary school certificate, uploaded clearly and under the same name as the passport.
- A passport valid for at least six months from the date of application.
- Accurate data: the portal's terms say the file is cancelled if documents are inconsistent or incomplete.
- No previous enrolment at Al-Azhar.
Tips for applying to Al-Azhar
- 1 Prepare all documents under exactly the same name as your passport before starting the portal form.
- 2 Pay the admission fee first: the portal will not let you enter faculty preferences until it is paid.
- 3 Many faculties are separate for men and women; check the faculty directory for your gender before choosing preferences.
- 4 Do not withdraw after paying: the portal terms say fees already paid cannot be claimed back if you withdraw your file.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EGP
Al-Azhar's website lists scholarships, financial assistance and a scholarship fund, but the pages we could load were still marked as under construction. We found no published undergraduate tuition schedule for international students. Undergraduate fees are not listed in the home-page navigation or on the international portal pages that load without an account.
- First-time registration USD 1,500; master's USD 3,000 per year; preparatory year or diploma USD 6,000 per year; PhD USD 6,000 per year (US dollars or equivalent)
- Graduate fees for foreign women students (one faculty's page, from 2026/27); could not be re-fetched in this check (page not in archive)
- Paid in Egyptian pounds (EGP) through Fawry on the international portal; the amount is shown in the portal after registration
- Admission fee payment
Academics
Islamic law and Sharia
Al-Azhar's core historic field, taught in faculties of Sharia and law, Quran sciences and Islamic studies.
Arabic language and literature
Arabic language faculties exist in several governorates, and the university runs a centre for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers.
Medicine
Separate medical faculties for men and women in Cairo, Assiut and Damietta are listed in the faculty directory.
Pharmacy
Pharmacy faculties for men and women in Cairo and Assiut appear in the faculty directory.
Computers and Artificial Intelligence
Faculties for men and for women, with department pages for computer science, data science, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Research
- The university lists a research centre, a scientific journals portal and an open research repository on its site.
- Its international pages describe partnerships and an alumni network in more than 100 countries.
Schools & faculties
- Faculties of Islamic and Arabic Sciences
- Faculties of Medicine and Nursing
- Faculties of Pharmacy
- Faculties of Dentistry
- Faculties of Engineering and Technology
- Faculties of Computers and Artificial Intelligence
- Faculties of Science
- Faculties of Agriculture
- Faculties of Commerce and Business Administration
- Faculties of Education
- Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences
Student life
Al-Azhar's student life is shaped by its size and by the separation of many faculties into men's and women's campuses. The university operates residences with published rules on conduct, curfews and visitors, and it reserves 3% of places for special cases such as students with disabilities or who lost a parent in the previous year. Students have a student portal, a learning management system and a digital student card. Life for many international students centres on Cairo's historic Islamic district around the Al-Azhar Mosque, while other faculties sit in cities such as Assiut and Damietta.
- Housing rules published for university residences, including a 3% quota for special cases.
- Separate faculties for male and female students in most subjects.
- Sports, recreation and student union pages, including the Egyptian Pharmacy Students Federation.
- A student portal, LMS and digital student card for enrolled students.
Housing. University residences exist with an application process for continuing and new students, and 3% of places are set aside for students with special circumstances.
Location
The university's historic core is in Cairo's Islamic district, around the Al-Azhar Mosque. Cairo is Egypt's capital and largest city, and Al-Azhar also has faculties in other governorates such as Assiut, Damietta, Tanta, Qena and Beheira. Housing, fees and daily costs depend heavily on the city and faculty you are assigned to.
Nearest airport: Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Notable alumni
- MA Muhammad AbduhEgyptian scholar and Grand Mufti, central figure of Islamic modernism; studied and taught at Al-Azhar
- TH Taha HusseinEgyptian writer known as the Dean of Arabic Literature; listed among Al-Azhar alumni
- SZ Saad ZaghlulEgyptian statesman and leader of the 1919 revolution; listed among Al-Azhar alumni
- AM Ahmad Meshari Al-AdwaniKuwaiti poet who wrote the words of Kuwait's national anthem
- MM Muhammad Ma JianHui Chinese translator of the Quran into Chinese
- AD Aliko DangoteNigerian businessman and founder of Dangote Group; studied business at Al-Azhar
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to Al-Azhar University?
Through Al-Azhar's own international student portal (international.azu.edu.eg): register, upload your secondary school certificate, passport and photo, pay the admission fee online in Egyptian pounds, then select faculty preferences.
How much does Al-Azhar University cost for international students?
We found no published undergraduate fee schedule for international students. The university's graduate fee page for foreign women students lists fees in US dollars (for example USD 3,000 a year for a master's), and the portal takes an admission fee in Egyptian pounds.
Do men and women study together at Al-Azhar?
Many Al-Azhar faculties are separate for men and for women, and the faculty directory lists male and female versions of faculties such as Medicine, Pharmacy and Engineering.
What are the application deadlines for 2027 entry?
Al-Azhar has not published 2027 dates on the pages we could reach. The international portal accepts applications only when an admission semester is open.
Where does Al-Azhar rank?
QS World University Rankings 2027 places it in the 1001-1200 band. Times Higher Education 2026 lists it in the 801-1000 band and ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026 in 701-800.
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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