Al-Quds University
جامعة القدس
A Palestinian university based in Abu Dis that says it opened Palestine's first faculties of medicine, dentistry and law.
- Students
- 12,700
- Student–faculty
- 17:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- ₪5,513
- From · 2025-26
- Founded
- 1977
About AQU
Al-Quds University (AQU) dates its establishment to 1977 and grew from several earlier colleges in and around Jerusalem, including the Hind Al-Husseini college in Sheikh Jarrah, the Faculty of Da'wah and Fundamentals of Religion, the Faculty of Health Professions and the Faculty of Science and Technology. Its main campus is in Abu Dis, with further campuses in Jerusalem's Old City, Sheikh Jarrah and Beit Hanina, and a postgraduate centre in Dura, Hebron Governorate.
AQU has about 12,000 to 12,700 students, around two-thirds of them women, and more than 700 faculty members across 15 degree-granting faculties. It offers over 55 bachelor's programmes and around 45 master's programmes, and it describes itself as the first in Palestine to establish faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Professions, Public Health and Law. It also runs Al-Quds Bard, a dual-degree liberal arts college with Bard College in New York, and a Faculty of Dual Studies, founded in 2015 with the German government, where students alternate between campus and one of about 150 partner employers.
AQU suits Palestinian students aiming for competitive health programmes (Medicine requires a 96.5% Tawjihi average on the regular track) or for practical, work-integrated study through Dual Studies. It has one of the largest financial aid programmes among Palestinian universities, and around 550 students took part in its semester exchanges in 2023-24.
Why students choose AQU
Health sciences depth: AQU says it founded Palestine's first faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health.
Al-Quds Bard awards degrees from both Al-Quds University and Bard College in New York.
The Faculty of Dual Studies combines campus study with placements at about 150 partner companies and institutions in electrical engineering, IT and business.
Financial aid worth about $9 million reached around 56% of bachelor's students in 2023-24, and exchange partnerships span over 150 universities in 50 countries.
Admissions
2026-27 intake
Selectivity
Al-Quds University does not publish a dated admit rate. Its 2025-26 Undergraduate Enrollment Guide prints '5800 applications' and '3236 admitted' without saying which year they cover, so no admit rate is given here. Selectivity varies widely by programme: Medicine requires a 96.5% high school average on the regular track and Dentistry 90%, while many science and humanities programmes accept averages of 65-80%.
Typical entry requirements
| Palestinian Tawjihi (scientific stream) or equivalent | Medicine 96.5% (regular track) or 94% (parallel track); Dentistry 90% or 85%; many laboratory and health programmes 80% or 75% |
|---|---|
| Other programmes | Minimum averages from about 65% to 80% depending on faculty and stream (e.g. 80% in the scientific or technology streams for engineering programmes) |
| Diploma holders (bridging) | Diploma average of at least 70% (health) or 80% (engineering), a passed comprehensive exam and, for health, a year of work experience |
Deadlines
- Bachelor's admission Non-bindingAnnounced on the university's Important Dates page
Admission follows the release of Tawjihi results; the university publishes dates on its admissions pages.
AQU had not published specific 2027 application dates on its English pages when checked in September 2026. Applicants should check the Important Dates section of the Admissions & Registration page.
How to apply
Buy a non-refundable admission package (NIS 220) from Bank of Palestine branches, the Admission and Registration Office or online (PayPal, Visa or e-Sadad), then use its order number and PIN to apply at admission.alquds.edu. Admitted students reserve their seat by paying a reservation fee within the deadline.
What admissions looks for
- A high school average at or above the programme's published minimum, with higher thresholds for the regular track than for the parallel track.
- The right high school stream (for example, the scientific stream for Medicine, Dentistry and engineering).
- For some programmes, success in an interview or entrance examination set by the faculty.
- For transfer students, at least 30 credit hours at a recognised university and good standing.
Tips for applying to AQU
- 1 If you narrowly miss a regular-track average, check the parallel track: it has lower minimums (e.g. 94% instead of 96.5% for Medicine) but higher fees.
- 2 Once you reserve a seat you cannot change faculty or major until you have completed two semesters, so choose carefully.
- 3 Withdrawing before the semester starts still costs 30% of the seat reservation fee, rising to 100% from the second week.
- 4 Apply for financial aid through the student portal's electronic social survey, which ranks applicants by need.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 · figures in ILS
AQU's Student Financial Aid Department (founded 2005) distributes university scholarships (semester honour list, athletes, students with special needs and others) and externally funded grants using an electronic points-based need assessment. In 2023-24 aid totalled about $9 million and reached around 56% of bachelor's students. Students can also apply to the Ministry of Higher Education's Student Lending Fund.
- About $9 million, reaching about 56% of bachelor's students
- Financial aid, 2023-24
- NIS 220 (non-refundable)
- Admission package
- NIS 700 per student per month in a double room, NIS 550 in a triple, bills included
- Tenzile Erdogan Residence (female students, main campus)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (plus summer session)
Medicine
Six-year programme (253 credit hours) founded in 1994, with clinical training in hospitals in Jerusalem, Hebron, Ramallah and Nablus; minimum average 96.5% (regular track).
Dentistry (Oral and Dental Surgery)
Five-year programme founded in 2000, with community-based preventive dentistry projects; minimum average 90% (regular track).
Al-Quds Bard College for Arts and Sciences
A partnership with Bard College, New York, awarding degrees from both institutions.
Dual Studies (electrical engineering, IT, business)
Founded in 2015 with the German government; students split their time between campus and around 150 partner companies.
Engineering (Najjad Zeenni Faculty)
Five-year programmes including Computer, Electronics and Architectural Engineering.
Research
- AQU hosts a Nanotechnology Center, a Confucius Institute and a Center for Competitiveness and Strategies developed under an agreement with Harvard University.
- Its Science and Mathematics Museums, opened in 2007, offer interactive exhibits with free admission.
- Libraries hold more than 150,000 books and references.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Health Professions
- Faculty of Public Health
- Najjad Zeenni Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Science and Technology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Al-Quds Bard College for Arts and Sciences
- Faculty of Dual Studies
Student life
Most undergraduates study at the main Abu Dis campus, which has a sports centre, dining facilities, a medical clinic and the Tenzile Erdogan Residence for female students; other faculties and centres operate from the Old City, Sheikh Jarrah and Beit Hanina campuses. About two-thirds of students are women. The university runs a large exchange programme: around 550 students spent a semester abroad in 2023-24 through partnerships with over 150 universities, including a student exchange with Sciences Po in France.
- Semester exchanges with over 150 partner universities in 50 countries.
- Science and Mathematics Museums on campus, free to visit.
- Sports centre and dining facilities at the main campus.
- Tenzile Erdogan Residence for female students on the main campus.
Housing. The Tenzile Erdogan Residence on the main campus houses female students, at NIS 700 per student per month in a double room or NIS 550 in a triple, including electricity, water, internet and heating.
Location
The main campus is in Abu Dis, in the Jerusalem Governorate of the West Bank, with smaller campuses inside Jerusalem. Students commute from across the West Bank's governorates, and clinical training for medical students takes place in hospitals in Jerusalem, Hebron, Ramallah and Nablus. Movement and travel conditions in the area can change, so applicants from abroad should check current official travel advice before planning a visit.
Notable alumni
- SJ Samah JabrPsychiatrist and writer, former head of the Palestinian Ministry of Health's Mental Health Unit; member of the first Faculty of Medicine cohort (graduated 2001)
- KF Kholoud FaqihJudge, described as the first female Sharia judge in the Middle East; law graduate (1999)
- AN Ameen NayfehFilm director and writer of the feature film 200 Meters; BSc in nursing
- WA Wael Al-DahdouhJournalist and Al Jazeera bureau chief in Gaza City; master's in regional studies (2007)
- SA Saeed Abu AliJurist, former Palestinian Minister of Interior and Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League; studied law
- MD Mohammed DwedarMiddle-distance runner who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics; student in the Faculty of Arts as of 2023
Frequently asked questions
What Tawjihi average do I need for Medicine at Al-Quds University?
At least 96.5% in the scientific stream for the regular track, or 94% for the parallel track, according to the 2025-26 enrollment guide.
How much does Al-Quds University cost?
Fees are charged per credit hour: from about NIS 150 (Islamic studies faculties) and NIS 165-195 (arts and sciences) to NIS 715 for Medicine on the regular track, which works out at roughly NIS 5,500 to NIS 30,000 a year. Parallel-track fees are higher.
How do I apply to Al-Quds University?
Buy a NIS 220 admission package (at Bank of Palestine or online), then apply at admission.alquds.edu with the order number and PIN, and reserve your seat after admission.
Does Al-Quds University offer financial aid?
Yes. In 2023-24 about $9 million in scholarships and grants reached around 56% of bachelor's students, allocated through an electronic need assessment, and students can also apply to the Ministry's Student Lending Fund.
What is Al-Quds Bard?
A partnership between Al-Quds University and Bard College in New York; graduates receive certificates from both institutions.
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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