Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב
Israel's desert research university, built in Beersheba to develop the Negev and known for desert, water and energy research.
- Tuition
- ₪15,254
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1969
- QS World Ranking
- #533
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Urban
About BGU
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was founded in 1969 as the University of the Negev, with a mission to develop Israel's southern desert region, and was renamed after David Ben-Gurion, who believed the country's future lay in the Negev. Today it has about 20,000 students and about 4,000 faculty members, and it reports more than 100,000 alumni.
The university has three main campuses: the Marcus Family Campus in Beersheba, a research campus at Sde Boker and a campus in Eilat. Teaching is organised in faculties of Engineering Sciences, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Computer and Information Science, and Business and Management, alongside the Goldman School of Medicine, the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies and schools for brain sciences and for sustainability and climate change.
BGU is best known for applied research tied to its desert setting: the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, the National Institute of Solar Energy and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev. Most bachelor's degrees are taught in Hebrew and admit students through a composite of school grades and the Psychometric Entrance Test, while applicants educated abroad can use the SAT alongside a Hebrew proficiency exam. A small number of programmes, such as English Literature, Linguistics and a new BSc in Renewable Natural Resources, are aimed at international students.
השראה פוגשת מצוינות
“Inspiration meets excellence” — university motto
Why students choose BGU
The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at Sde Boker make BGU a centre for water, agriculture and energy research in arid lands.
The four-year Sagol Medical School for International Health MD, open to Israeli citizens including new immigrants and lone soldiers, trains doctors with a focus on global health.
A new three-year BSc in Renewable Natural Resources focuses on soil, water and vegetation conservation.
Applicants who finished school abroad can apply with an internationally recognised equivalent of the Psychometric Entrance Test, such as the SAT.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year (registration for 2026-27 autumn semester currently open; 2027-28 dates not yet published)
Selectivity
BGU does not publish an overall acceptance rate. Admission to each Hebrew-taught programme is based on a composite score (sekem) combining the matriculation (bagrut) average and the Psychometric Entrance Test, with thresholds that vary by programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Israeli bagrut | Composite score (sekem) of bagrut average and Psychometric Entrance Test, with a programme-specific threshold |
|---|---|
| High school diploma from abroad | Recognised high school diploma plus an internationally recognised equivalent of the psychometric exam (e.g. SAT) and a passing Hebrew proficiency result at level 'hei' |
Deadlines
- Autumn semester 2026-27 registration Non-bindingRolling; registration currently open
BGU's Hebrew registration site says registration for the 2026-27 autumn semester is open. Dates for 2027-28 had not been published.
BGU does not publish a single deadline on its English pages. Registration for Hebrew-taught programmes runs through the Hebrew admissions site; check the applicant bulletin for programme deadlines once 2027-28 registration opens.
How to apply
Hebrew-taught bachelor's programmes: register through BGU's online registration system after reading the applicant bulletin (yedion), then submit bagrut and psychometric (or SAT) results. International full-degree applicants use BGU International's online application and can contact the Welcome Center for advice.
What admissions looks for
- A competitive composite score of matriculation grades and psychometric (or SAT) results for the chosen programme.
- For applicants educated abroad, a recognised high school diploma and SAT or equivalent.
- Hebrew proficiency at level 'hei' for Hebrew-taught degrees.
- Any programme-specific requirements set out in the applicant bulletin.
Tips for applying to BGU
- 1 If you studied outside Israel, check early whether your target programme accepts the SAT in place of the psychometric test, and book the Hebrew proficiency exam.
- 2 Use BGU's online calculator for bagrut average and composite score to see whether you meet a programme's threshold before registering.
- 3 Look at the Aliyah@BGU track and the Pre-Academic Studies (mechina) centre if you need to strengthen Hebrew or school subjects first.
- 4 Contact the Welcome Center (by WhatsApp or its contact form) for one-to-one advice on routes and documents.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in ILS
BGU lists undergraduate scholarships and excellence programmes with entrance prizes on its Hebrew admissions site, plus the EcoSister programme for women in STEM. For international students, competitive merit scholarships are offered mainly for summer, semester and year programmes.
- NIS 484 per year
- Welfare fee (optional)
- Base tuition USD 7,200 per semester or USD 11,200 per year; on-campus housing USD 560 per month
- Semester or year abroad programme
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (autumn and spring)
MD, Sagol Medical School for International Health
A four-year MD with a curriculum built around global health, preventive medicine and advanced technologies, open to Israeli citizens; about 160 students were enrolled when BGU announced the school's naming in June 2025.
BSc in Renewable Natural Resources
A new three-year degree on sustainable use and conservation of soil, water and vegetation, with mentoring and hands-on learning.
BA in English Literature
Covers British and American literary traditions, with research strengths from Shakespeare to postcolonial and Native American studies.
BA in Linguistics
Taught in English and focused on how humans acquire and use language.
Engineering Sciences
One of BGU's founding strengths, linked to its technology transfer company BGN Technologies and the nearby Gav-Yam Negev high-tech park.
Research
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at Sde Boker host the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies.
- National institutes on campus include the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, the National Institute of Solar Energy and the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology.
- BGN Technologies, the university's technology transfer company, manages its patent portfolio and industry partnerships.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Engineering Sciences
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Pinchas Sapir Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Stein Faculty of Computer and Information Science
- Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management
- Joyce and Irving Goldman School of Medicine
- Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies
- School of Brain Sciences and Cognition
- Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change
- Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies
- Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
Student life
Most students are based at the Marcus Family Campus in Beersheba, a walkable campus of shaded plazas and concrete modernist buildings such as the Zalman Aranne Central Library. The Sylvan Adams Sports Center, the student union, the Negative cinema, two art galleries and the Yazamut 360 entrepreneurship centre are all part of campus life. International students are supported by a Welcome Center, and students on semester or year programmes live in on-campus housing and join weekly social activities and trips around Israel.
- Yazamut 360 entrepreneurship centre for student start-ups.
- Sylvan Adams Sports Center with a pool.
- The Negative campus cinema and the Senate and Trumpeldor art galleries.
- A Welcome Center that advises international and new-immigrant students.
Housing. BGU runs on-campus dormitories; for semester and year programmes, on-campus housing costs USD 560 per month.
Location
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert and the main city of southern Israel. The main campus is near the Soroka Medical Center and the Gav-Yam Negev high-tech park, while the Sde Boker research campus sits deep in the desert near David Ben-Gurion's former home and archive. Eilat, on the Red Sea, hosts a smaller campus.
Nearest airport: Ben Gurion Airport (TLV)
Notable alumni
- AC Alon ChenNeuroscientist and 11th President of the Weizmann Institute of Science
- SS Silvan ShalomFormer Israeli government minister
- ES Eliezer ShkediFormer CEO of El Al
- SY Shelly YachimovichFormer member of the Knesset and former leader of the Israeli Labor Party
- AI Arieh IserlesMathematician specialising in numerical analysis
- AE Amal Elsana Alh'joojBedouin feminist and peace activist
- HM Hadas Malada-MatzriFirst Ethiopian-Israeli female doctor in the Israel Defense Forces
- AG Anastasia GloushkovOlympic synchronised swimmer
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply to Ben-Gurion University with the SAT instead of the psychometric exam?
Applicants who did not finish high school in Israel may submit an internationally recognised equivalent of the psychometric exam, such as the SAT, but for Hebrew-taught degrees they must also pass the Hebrew proficiency exam at level 'hei'.
How much is tuition at BGU?
For 2026-27, reduced basic undergraduate tuition is NIS 12,203 for Israeli students and NIS 15,253.52 for non-Israeli students. The basic regular rate is NIS 16,490 (NIS 20,612.50 for non-Israelis), plus a NIS 736 security fee.
Does BGU offer bachelor's degrees in English?
BGU lists a small number of undergraduate programmes for international students, including a BA in English Literature, a BA in Linguistics and a new BSc in Renewable Natural Resources. Most bachelor's degrees are taught in Hebrew.
What is the acceptance rate at Ben-Gurion University?
BGU does not publish an overall acceptance rate. Each programme sets its own composite-score threshold based on school grades and psychometric results.
Where are BGU's campuses?
The main Marcus Family Campus is in Beersheba, with a research campus at Sde Boker and a campus in Eilat.
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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