Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد
A large public university in Mashhad that admits non-Iranian students on academic record, with fees published in euros.
- Students
- 20,937
- International
- 6%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 26.9:1
- ratio
- Founded
- 1949
About FUM
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM) is a public university in Mashhad, the capital of Razavi Khorasan province in north-eastern Iran. It is named after the poet Ferdowsi, and Wikipedia dates its origins to 1949 when the College of Health became a Faculty of Medicine, with the University of Mashhad formed in 1954. The university today reports to Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, and medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and paramedical fields are taught at a separate institution, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.
Its international students' website lists faculties for Letters and Humanities, Islamic Studies, Law and Political Science, Veterinary Medicine, Economics and Administrative Sciences, Sciences, Education and Psychology, Mathematics, Sport Sciences, Agriculture, Architecture and Urbanism, Resources and Environment, and Engineering. THE's 2026 profile counts 20,937 students, 6% of them international, and a student-staff ratio of 26.9.
Non-Iranian applicants are admitted on their academic record without the national Konkur entrance exam, and they pay tuition in euros. Applicants must show a valid passport, attested diplomas, a Persian-language qualification where required and a tracking code from the Organization for Student Affairs (SAORG). The practical steps, fees and dates on this page come from the university's own international students office pages, which change between cycles.
خرد باید و دانش و راستی
“Wisdom, Knowledge, and Integrity” — university motto
Why students choose FUM
Non-Iranian applicants are admitted on their academic record through the International Students Office, without sitting Iran's national entrance exam.
The university publishes bachelor's, master's and PhD tuition lists for non-scholarship international students in euros.
Discounts on fixed and variable tuition are listed for Afghan nationals (50%), Syria, Yemen and Lebanon nationals (25%) and Pakistani nationals (10%), plus 70% for non-Persian speakers studying Persian Language and Literature.
Dormitory places for non-Iranian students are available where there is capacity, and the campus has cafeterias, sports complexes and an aquatic complex.
Admissions
Fall 2026 intake (2027 entry dates not yet announced)
Selectivity
FUM publishes no acceptance rate for international applicants. Its FAQ says admission without the national Konkur exam is open to non-Iranians and depends on academic record plus payment of the published tuition; applications are reviewed by the university and then processed through the consular office.
Typical entry requirements
| Bachelor's entry | A valid high-school diploma with transcripts attested by the authorities in the home country and the Iranian embassy or representation, a minimum average of 65 or equivalent, and an age of no more than 30 |
|---|---|
| Master's entry | A valid bachelor's degree in a relevant field, attested in the same way, with a minimum average of 65 or equivalent and an age of no more than 40 |
| PhD entry | A valid bachelor's and master's degree in a relevant field with a minimum average of 65 at master's level, an age of no more than 50, and a separate procedure for research-based PhDs |
| General conditions | No Iranian citizenship, a passport valid for more than one year, and no legal bar to continuing studies |
| English language | No English test is listed. Teaching is in Persian; applicants lacking Persian must complete a Persian course first, and the FAQ says English-language classes can be formed only if the department agrees and the class quorum is met. |
Deadlines
- Fall 2026 application window (previous cycle) Non-binding18 February to 1 March 2026 (29 Bahman to 10 Esfand 1404)
The international admission system was open for new applications in this window, according to the university's announcement of 18 February 2026.
- Fall 2025 timetable (two cycles ago) Non-binding6 May to 8 June 2025 to register; results 9 June to 2 July 2025; enrolment from 23 June 2025
The university describes its 1404-1405 timetable this way and says the 1405-1406 timetable will be announced later.
Dates for entry in 2027 have not been announced. The dates shown describe the last two published cycles; always check iso.um.ac.ir before planning.
How to apply
Register on the university's international admission system (fum-admission.ir) and upload a photo, passport page (valid for at least one year), recommendation letter, transcripts and diplomas stamped by the home authorities and Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a CV, Persian proficiency evidence where relevant, and a confirmed SAORG tracking code. The Persian conditions page states that applications can only be entered from inside Iran, and the university says applicants who use an agent must go through one of the officially licensed recruitment institutions approved by the Organization for Student Affairs; its office does not respond to unofficial agents. After admission, the university's consular office issues the student visa. A document-review fee is payable when the application is submitted (see the tips for the discrepancy between the English and Persian pages).
What admissions looks for
- Valid, correctly attested academic documents showing the required minimum average.
- Eligibility under the age limits and general conditions for the chosen level.
- A recognised Persian-language qualification, or willingness to complete the Persian course before the degree.
- Approval of the receiving department, which can also require prerequisite courses if the new field is not related to the previous degree.
Tips for applying to FUM
- 1 Check which field you want in the published fee lists first: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and paramedical fields are not taught at FUM and sit with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.
- 2 Plan for Persian: the university says a six-month Persian course costs 450 euros (and 225 euros for a three-month course for a few foreign-language-taught fields), and a proficiency exam follows.
- 3 Budget for the document-review fee and confirm the currency before paying: the Persian admissions page (archived 19 March 2026) says 1,000,000 toman (10,000,000 rials) through the payment gateway in the online system, while the English Master's page says 1,000,000 IRR by bank deposit to a university account. The Persian page is the newer, portal-based instruction, so 1,000,000 toman is the more likely current amount, but the two pages disagree and the International Students Office should confirm.
- 4 Note the rules before you commit: working during study is not permitted, transfers from foreign universities are not accepted, and a level cannot be repeated.
- 5 Check your own government's current travel advice and the visa process with the consular office before you pay any fees.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 (Iranian year 1404-1405) · figures in EUR
The university lists tuition discounts for non-scholarship international students: 70% for non-Persian speakers studying Persian Language and Literature, 50% for Afghan nationals, 25% for nationals of Syria, Yemen and Lebanon, 10% for Pakistani nationals, 20% to 40% for the top three students at bachelor's level, and 20% off fixed tuition where a family member also studies at FUM. Government scholarships go through Iran's Organization for Student Affairs in Tehran. The fee list (Excel file, 'final rate including mandatory annual insurance', in euros) and the Persian and English tuition pages do not say whether an amount covers a semester or a full year, so no annual tuition figure is entered here; the list is shown as published. The Persian notes describe tuition as 'fixed and variable' (per semester and per credit) and say a student who withdraws owes the fixed tuition of two semesters.
- 700 to 1,700 euros depending on the field
- Bachelor's tuition list for non-scholarship international students, 1404-1405 (euros, final rate including mandatory annual insurance; semester-or-year not stated)
- 1,000 to 2,000 euros depending on the field
- Master's tuition list (euros, same basis)
- 1,000 to 2,000 euros depending on the field
- PhD tuition list (euros, same basis)
- 450 euros / 225 euros
- Persian-language course (six months / three months for some fields)
- Accommodation 35-150, food and toiletries 80, books 7-15, local travel 15; student card 7 once
- Estimated minimum monthly living costs (university's International Students Office, US dollars)
- A student who withdraws must pay the fixed tuition for two semesters
- Withdrawal rule
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Persian Language and Literature
Non-Persian speakers who are admitted to this field at any level qualify for a 70% tuition discount.
Engineering (Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Materials)
The Faculty of Engineering was established in 1975 and offers B.Eng., M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes; bachelor's fees are at the top of the published range.
Veterinary Medicine
A separate faculty listed on the international students' site, and FUM also runs a Veterinary Biotechnology research group.
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Faculties of Agriculture and of Natural Resources and Environment offer fields such as fisheries, rangeland and watershed management.
Computer Science (Faculty of Mathematical Sciences)
Bachelor's computer science is priced at 1,400 euros on the published list, below computer engineering at 1,700 euros.
Research
- The Sun and Air Research Institute, founded in October 2010, works on wind and solar energy and has designed and built a 100 kW wind turbine, according to Wikipedia.
- The Research Institute of Biotechnology was established in 2006 with groups in cell and molecular, veterinary, agricultural and embryo biotechnology.
- The university reports it is included in the CWTS Leiden Ranking. Its own news item (19 August 2026) claims a QS 2027 position of 5th among Iran's comprehensive universities; QS itself lists it only in the 1001-1200 band.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Letters and Humanities
- Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies
- Faculty of Law and Political Science
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Education and Psychology
- Faculty of Mathematical Sciences
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism
- Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment
- Faculty of Engineering
No graduate-outcome figures were found on the pages checked. The international students' rules say working during study is not permitted for non-Iranian students.
Student life
FUM is a large campus university in Mashhad. Dormitory rooms for non-Iranian students are available where capacity allows; rooms are furnished with beds, desks, a fridge, a wardrobe and heating and air conditioning, and each floor has a kitchen and bathrooms. Several cafeterias serve breakfast, lunch and dinner near the dormitory complexes and faculties. The campus has sports complexes for men and for women, tennis courts, a wrestling hall and an aquatic complex. The International Students Office, founded in 2014, handles admission questions and consular steps for non-Iranian students in Persian, English and Arabic.
- The International Students Office was founded in August 2014 and runs its website in Persian, English and Arabic.
- Cafeterias near the dormitories can seat 2,000 to 4,000 people each.
- Sports facilities include the Imam Ali Sports Complex, a campus aquatic complex and a women's Kowsar complex.
- Non-Iranian students can study Persian at the university's centre for teaching Persian to non-Persian speakers.
Housing. Dormitory places for non-Iranian students are offered where capacity exists; fully equipped rooms with shared kitchens and bathrooms on each floor.
Location
Mashhad is the second most populous city in Iran, about 740 km east of Tehran, and the capital of Razavi Khorasan province. It has a population of about 3.4 million (2016 census) and is closely associated with the poet Ferdowsi, whose name the university carries. The FUM campus is in the city itself.
Nearest airport: Mashhad International Airport (MHD)
Notable alumni
- AS Abdulaziz SachedinaIslamic studies scholar (1942-2025); BA from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, later professor at George Mason University
- AK Amir KhajepourProfessor of mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo; BASc from FUM (1989)
- SF Soheyla FeyzbakhshMathematician linking algebraic geometry to string theory; double bachelor's degree in mathematics and electrical engineering from FUM (2013)
- MM Mohammad MokhtariWriter, poet and literary critic (1942-1998); graduated in Persian Language and Literature from FUM in 1969
Frequently asked questions
Can international students join FUM without taking the national entrance exam?
Yes: the university's FAQ says admission without the Konkur is open to non-Iranian applicants, based on their academic record and payment of the published tuition.
How much is tuition for international students at FUM?
The 1404-1405 (2025-26) list for non-scholarship international students is published in euros: 700 to 1,700 euros at bachelor's level and 1,000 to 2,000 euros at master's and PhD level, depending on the field, described as the final rate including mandatory annual insurance. Neither the list nor the English and Persian tuition pages say whether the amount is per semester or per year, so confirm with the International Students Office. The 1405-1406 list had not been published when the pages were archived in March 2026.
Do I need to speak Persian to study at FUM?
Yes, in most cases: applicants without Persian must take a Persian-language course and pass a proficiency test before starting. A six-month course costs 450 euros. English-language classes are only possible if the department agrees and the quorum is met.
Does FUM teach medicine or dentistry?
No. The university says medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and paramedical fields belong to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.
How do I apply from outside Iran?
The university's Persian-language conditions page says applications can only be entered from inside Iran. It tells applicants who use an agent to use an officially licensed recruitment institute, and it does not answer unofficial agents. Contact the International Students Office to confirm the current route. The document-review fee is given as 1,000,000 IRR on the English page but 1,000,000 toman on the newer Persian page, so confirm the amount before paying.
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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