Aligarh Muslim University
علی گڑھ مسلم یونیورسٹی
A residential central university in Uttar Pradesh, with a dedicated foreign-national admissions route and published dollar fees.
- Students
- 39,367
- Tuition
- $800
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1877
- QS World Ranking
- 1001-1200
- 2027 edition
About AMU
Aligarh Muslim University grew out of the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College, which Sir Syed Ahmad Khan set up on 7 January 1877, and became a university in 1920. The main campus covers 467.6 hectares in the city of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, and the university describes itself as residential: most staff and students live on campus, in 19 halls of residence with about 80 hostels.
The university's own fact sheet lists 39,367 students, 1,623 academic staff, 13 faculties, 117 teaching departments and more than 300 courses. It says it draws students from all Indian states and from other countries, especially Africa, West Asia and Southeast Asia, and that some courses reserve seats for students from SAARC and Commonwealth countries. Faculties include Engineering and Technology, Medicine, Law, Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences and Theology, plus a Faculty of International Studies that teaches Chinese, French, German, Russian and Spanish.
AMU is a strong national name rather than a global one: it sits in the QS 1001-1200 band, but NIRF 2025 ranks it 10th among Indian universities. It suits applicants who want a low-cost, campus-based Indian degree, and who are comfortable with a paper-heavy foreign-student admissions process.
Allama al-Insana ma lam ya'lam
“Taught man what he did not know (Qur'an 96:5)” — university motto
Why students choose AMU
Foreign nationals have their own admission route (Guide to Admissions Supplement-FN) with fees published in US dollars, for example US$800 a year for B.A. (Hons.) courses.
It ranks 10th in the University category of NIRF India Rankings 2025, ahead of many better-known Indian universities.
Most students live on a 467.6-hectare residential campus with 19 halls, so there is a built-in community for newcomers.
It offers professional degrees under one roof, including B.Tech. (US$4,200 a year for foreign nationals), B.A.LL.B., B.Arch. and MBBS.
Admissions
2026-27 session (foreign-national guide); 2027-28 guide not yet published
Selectivity
AMU does not publish an overall acceptance rate. For foreign nationals, admission to all courses except MBBS and BDS is on merit in the qualifying examination, subject to the course eligibility rules, and seats are limited per course (for example 5 self-financing seats in each B.Tech. branch).
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school certificate (10+2 equivalent) | Course-specific eligibility in the Guide to Admissions 2026-27; selection is by merit in the qualifying examination. Statements of marks must be uploaded, with an English translation attested by the Indian embassy if not in English. |
|---|---|
| English language | Foreign-national applicants are expected to be proficient in English (except for language departments) and may be asked to pass an English proficiency test if their qualifying examination was taught in another language. No minimum test score is stated in the supplement. |
Deadlines
- Foreign nationals and NRI category (2026-27, previous cycle) Non-binding PassedJune 10, 2026 (June 17, 2026 with a Rs. 300 late fee)
Dates from the 2026-27 Supplement-FN. Foreign nationals are considered on a rolling basis for the ensuing session or semester, subject to seat availability.
The 2027-28 guide and dates were not yet published when checked on 30 September 2026. The dates shown are from the previous cycle (2026-27); confirm the new dates on amucontrollerexams.com.
How to apply
Apply online at amucontrollerexams.com, paying a non-refundable processing charge of Rs. 9,500 (equivalent to US$100; listed as US$100 in the course table) by card or net banking. Upload mark sheets, passport pages and other documents; shortlisted candidates receive an intimation letter used to obtain a student visa, then register on the counselling portal and pay the admission fee online. Foreign nationals are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year, subject to seat availability.
What admissions looks for
- Meeting the published eligibility rules for the chosen course, which are not relaxed for any candidate.
- Strong marks in the qualifying examination, which decide selection for most courses.
- Complete, attested documents: mark sheets, passport pages and translations attested by the Indian embassy or high commission.
- English proficiency, especially if your school examinations were not in English.
Tips for applying to AMU
- 1 Apply through the foreign-national (FN) category, not the general Indian category; the FN supplement lists the seats, fees and documents.
- 2 Budget for the US$100 processing charge, and note that the fee is charged even for ICCR scholarship holders, who get no fee exemption at AMU.
- 3 Get mark sheets attested and translated early: originals attested by the Indian embassy are needed at physical reporting.
- 4 Ask for the intimation letter as soon as it is issued, because you need it for the student visa and normally have one month to finish admission formalities.
- 5 For MBBS, applications need Ministry of Health concurrence and NEET-based counselling; check the supplement's MBBS conditions before paying.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
AMU offers no fee exemption to foreign nationals, including ICCR (Government of India cultural scholarship) holders, who pay the self-financing fee. A few seats in some courses are reserved for ICCR nominees, so scholarships must come through the Government of India or your home country.
- Rs. 9,500 (US$100), non-refundable
- Processing charge for foreign nationals
- 100% (less up to 5%, maximum Rs. 5,000) if notice is given 15 days or more before the notified last date of admission, then 90%, 80%, 50% and finally 0% more than 30 days after that date; MBBS, BDS and BUMS fees are not refunded
- Refund of fees on withdrawal
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (eight-semester undergraduate courses)
B.Tech. (Engineering and Technology)
Eleven B.Tech. branches are open to foreign nationals (5 self-financing seats each), including Computer Engineering (Artificial Intelligence) and Electronics and Communication (VLSI Design and Technology), at US$4,200 a year.
B.A.LL.B. (Law)
A five-year integrated law degree in the Faculty of Law, at US$2,000 a year for foreign nationals.
B.Arch.
A ten-semester architecture degree that requires the NATA aptitude test; 2 self-financing seats for foreign nationals.
B.A. (Hons.) in foreign languages
The Faculty of International Studies teaches Chinese, French, German, Russian and Spanish at US$800 a year.
B.Sc. (Hons.) Biochemistry, Zoology and Botany
Life Sciences honours degrees at US$900 to US$1,800 a year for foreign nationals.
Arabic, Persian and Urdu studies
B.A. (Hons.) and M.A. programmes in languages central to the Aligarh tradition, listed in the FN course table.
Research
- The university lists 13 faculties, 117 teaching departments, 3 academies and 21 centres and institutes.
- Foreign nationals can pursue Ph.D. research in almost all faculties, with rules notified separately.
- AMU's accreditation page (archived January 2025) states NAAC accreditation at A+ grade with a CGPA of 3.35 on a four-point scale; the page gives no validity date, so check the current status on NAAC's site.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Commerce
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Management Studies and Research
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of International Studies
AMU runs central and department-wise training and placement cells (for example for engineering, management and computer science); no graduate-outcomes figure was found on the pages consulted.
Student life
AMU is a residential university, with most staff and students living on the campus in Aligarh. There are 19 halls of residence (13 for men and 6 for women) with about 80 hostels, each with a dining hall, common room, reading room, library, sports clubs and a literary and cultural society. Sir Syed Hall is the oldest and holds heritage buildings such as Strachey Hall and the Victoria Gate. The campus has a cricket ground, a synthetic hockey ground, the Maulana Azad Library and the Moinuddin Ahmad Art Gallery.
- 19 halls of residence with about 80 hostels, run by provosts and teacher wardens.
- Heritage buildings in Sir Syed Hall including Strachey Hall, Victoria Gate and Lytton Library.
- Maulana Azad Library and the Moinuddin Ahmad Art Gallery on campus.
- Athletics facilities include a cricket ground and a synthetic hockey ground.
- An ASCE AMU International Student Chapter and clubs listed under student services.
Housing. Most students live on campus in the university's halls of residence; foreign nationals should check hostel allotment rules and costs in the Guide to Admissions.
Location
The university sits in Aligarh, a city in western Uttar Pradesh in northern India. The campus is a compact, self-contained area within the city, and the nearest railway station is Aligarh Junction, on the Howrah-Delhi main line.
Notable alumni
- ZH Zakir Husain3rd President of India; studied at the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (later AMU) and was its Vice-Chancellor from 1948
- LA Liaquat Ali KhanFirst Prime Minister of Pakistan; BSc and LLB from the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (1918)
- MH Mohammad Hamid Ansari12th Vice President of India; B.A. and M.A. in political science at AMU, later its Vice-Chancellor (2000-2002)
- NS Naseeruddin ShahActor; graduated in arts from AMU in 1971
- IC Ismat ChughtaiUrdu novelist and short-story writer; B.Ed. at AMU (earlier schooling at its Women's College)
- RM Rahi Masoom RazaHindi and Urdu author, poet and screenwriter; doctorate in Hindustani literature at AMU
Frequently asked questions
Can international students apply to Aligarh Muslim University?
Yes. AMU has a Foreign Nationals/NRI category with its own Guide to Admissions (Supplement-FN) for 2026-27, an online application and a US$100 processing charge. Foreign nationals are considered on a rolling basis.
How much are AMU's fees for foreign students?
For 2026-27 the fee payable per year ranges from US$800 for most B.A. (Hons.) courses to US$4,200 for B.Tech. and B.Arch. MBBS costs US$120,000 at admission plus US$1,000 a year.
Does AMU require an entrance test from foreign applicants?
Mostly no: selection is on merit in the qualifying examination. B.Arch. needs NATA, and MBBS and BDS are allotted through NEET-based counselling.
How is AMU ranked?
QS 2027 places it in the 1001-1200 band and THE 2026 in the 601-800 band. US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 lists it at 701 (tie). NIRF India Rankings 2025 ranks it 10th in the University category and 19th Overall.
What is the application deadline for AMU?
The 2026-27 foreign-national deadline was 10 June 2026 (17 June with a late fee), and foreign nationals are considered on a rolling basis. Dates for 2027-28 had not been published when checked.
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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