Al-Nahrain University
جامعة النهرين
A public university in Baghdad with two campuses, nine colleges and a Study in Iraq route for foreign students.
- Students
- 7,927
- 6,307 undergraduates
- Founded
- 1987
- QS World Ranking
- 1001-1200
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Urban
About Al-Nahrain
Al-Nahrain University is a public university in Baghdad, founded in 1987. Its name means 'the two rivers', a reference to the Tigris and the Euphrates. It is accredited by Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and, according to its own international-students site, offers programmes in Arabic and English.
The university describes itself as having nine colleges plus institutes and research centres. It teaches medicine, pharmacy and law on the northern (Kadhimiya) campus, and engineering, science, political science, information engineering, business economics and biotechnology on the southern (Jadriya) campus. Its Colleges of Medicine and Law were founded in 1987, Engineering and Science in 1988, and Information Engineering in 2002.
The university's homepage reports 6,307 undergraduate and 1,620 postgraduate students in 2024, 1,636 academic staff and 1,031 graduates in 2023. Scholarship tables for 2025-2026 list places for foreign students in fields such as general medicine, computer science, chemistry, engineering (including artificial intelligence and robotics), biotechnology and pharmacy. It suits students who want a Baghdad-based degree in a technical, medical or legal field and who are ready to go through Iraq's government-run Study in Iraq admission process.
وقل رب زدني علما
“O Lord, increase my knowledge” — university motto
Why students choose Al-Nahrain
It offers free scholarship places for foreign students: the 2025-2026 free-scholarship table lists 6 places in general medicine and places in computer science, forensic evidence, applied pathological analysis, chemistry and several engineering fields.
Its scholarships run through the Ministry's Study in Iraq platform, which describes free, half-free and self-funded routes for foreign students.
The Jadriya campus groups engineering, science, political science, information engineering, business economics and biotechnology in one place, and the Kadhimiya campus holds medicine, law and pharmacy.
The university runs two dormitory halls, one for women and one for men, according to its international-students site.
Admissions
Foreign students, 2025-2026 scholarship listings (latest published; 2027 entry not yet listed)
Selectivity
No acceptance rate is published. Foreign-student places are allocated by seat quotas per programme in the Study in Iraq scholarship tables; for example the 2025-2026 free-scholarship table lists 6 places in general medicine and 2 in computer science.
Deadlines
No application deadline for 2027 entry was found on the pages fetched. The latest published scholarship tables cover 2025-2026. Check the Study in Iraq platform for current dates.
How to apply
Foreign students apply through the Ministry of Higher Education's Study in Iraq platform (studyiniraq.scrd-gate.gov.iq), which lists Al-Nahrain University and offers free scholarships, half-free scholarships and self-funded places. After the university issues an acceptance order, its residency office is asked to obtain an entry visa through the electronic visa platform; the university states this takes 15-20 days.
What admissions looks for
- The scholarship tables list places by college, department, degree level and specialisation, so applicants should choose a listed programme.
- Students must enter their phone number and email address accurately in the system, because entry visas are sent to them by email and phone.
Tips for applying to Al-Nahrain
- 1 Check the seat tables first: places are small (for example 1 place in most engineering specialisations on the free-scholarship list).
- 2 Plan arrival within 30 days of the entry-visa issue date, as the university requires.
- 3 On arrival at Baghdad International Airport, the university says the programme administrator meets students and takes them to the university, so give them your flight details after receiving the visa.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 · figures in IQD
The Study in Iraq platform describes free scholarships covering tuition and housing, half-free scholarships covering half of study costs, and a self-funded route. Tuition amounts for the self-funded route were not found on the pages fetched, so no fee figure is given.
- 6
- Free scholarship places, 2025-2026 (general medicine)
- 6
- Half-free scholarship places, 2025-2026 (general medicine)
Academics
Academic calendar: Fall and spring semesters, according to Wikipedia
General Medicine (bachelor's)
The College of Medicine, founded in 1987, is on the Kadhimiya campus; both the free and half-free scholarship tables list 6 places for 2025-2026.
Engineering (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Laser and Optoelectronics, Biomedical, Drone Engineering)
The 2025-2026 free-scholarship table lists a place in each of these bachelor's specialisations, among a broad set of engineering fields.
Computer Science and Information Engineering
The College of Information Engineering, founded in 2002, is described by Wikipedia as Iraq's first to offer information engineering; the scholarship tables also list computer network engineering.
Biotechnology
The College of Biotechnology (founded 2012) lists medical biotechnology, microbial biotechnology and applied life sciences among its scholarship places.
Chemistry
The scholarship tables list 5 places each in bachelor's chemistry and in master's and doctoral specialisations such as physical, organic and analytical chemistry.
Research
- The Biotechnology Research Center was founded in 1999 and the Renewable Energy Research Center in 2014, according to the international-students site.
- A Forensic DNA Center for Research and Training was founded in 2010, and the Higher Institute of Judicial Sciences in 2023.
- The university lists its own conferences, journals, patents, digital repository and library on its English homepage.
Schools & faculties
- College of Medicine
- College of Law
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Engineering
- College of Science
- College of Political Science
- College of Information Engineering
- College of Business Economics
- College of Biotechnology
- Higher Institute for Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technologies
- Higher Institute of Judicial Sciences
The homepage reports 1,031 graduates in 2023; no employment figures were found.
Student life
According to the university's international-students site, Al-Nahrain has two newly built dormitory halls, one for female and one for male students, a student-activities department that runs sports and arts events, and sports facilities. The site says the university resumed its inclusion and diversity initiative in 2022. Undergraduate teaching is on two campuses in central Baghdad, and the site describes campus life mainly in general terms rather than listing named clubs or traditions.
- Two dormitory halls, one for women and one for men.
- A student-activities department organises sports and arts activities.
- Foreign students arriving on a Study in Iraq visa are met at Baghdad International Airport by the programme administrator, according to the university.
- The university has an e-learning platform and a central library.
Housing. Dormitories are provided in two halls, one for women and one for men; the free scholarship route on the Study in Iraq platform includes housing.
Location
The university sits in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on the Tigris. The southern campus is in Jadriya, next to the University of Baghdad's main campus, and the smaller northern campus is in Kadhimiya. Students arrive at Baghdad International Airport. Check the current official travel advice from your own government before you plan a move: the UK FCDO, for example, was still advising against all but essential travel to Baghdad province (except Sadr City, where it advises against all travel) in advice still current on 30 September 2026 and last updated on 22 July 2026.
Nearest airport: Baghdad International Airport (BGW)
Notable alumni
- AA Ahmed AlbasheerIraqi comedian, journalist and director, creator of the Albasheer Show; trained as a journalist at Nahrain University
- SA Salman AljumailiIraq's Planning Minister from 2014 to 2018; received his doctorate in political science from Nahrain University
- YM Yousif Muhammed SadiqSpeaker of the Kurdistan Region Parliament from 2014 to 2019 (former); holds a master's degree in International Politics from Nahrain University (2007), per Wikipedia
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to Al-Nahrain University?
Through the Ministry of Higher Education's Study in Iraq platform, which lists Al-Nahrain and offers free, half-free and self-funded places. After an acceptance order is issued, the university arranges the entry visa.
Does Al-Nahrain University offer scholarships to foreign students?
Yes. Its international-students site publishes free-scholarship and half-free-scholarship seat tables for 2025-2026 by college, department and degree level, with small numbers of places per programme.
How long does the entry visa take?
The university says entry visas are issued 15-20 days after its residency office applies on the electronic visa platform, and the student must arrive within 30 days of the visa being issued.
What are the application deadlines for 2027 entry?
No 2027 deadline was found on the pages fetched. The latest published scholarship tables are for 2025-2026, so check the Study in Iraq platform for current dates.
What is Al-Nahrain University's QS ranking?
In QS World University Rankings 2027 it is in the 1001-1200 band. The QS band is not an exact rank.
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.
- Al-Nahrain University: English homepage (statistics, colleges)
- Al-Nahrain University: International students site, About
- Al-Nahrain University: University Application and Admission Pathways
- Al-Nahrain University: Free scholarships 2025-2026 (Arabic)
- Al-Nahrain University: Half-free scholarships 2025-2026 (Arabic)
- Al-Nahrain University: Campus life (Arabic)
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Universities ranked close to Al-Nahrain in the QS World University Rankings 2027.