Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University
جامعة الإمام محمد بن سعود الإسلامية
A large Riyadh university grown from a 1953 Sharia college, now also teaching science, engineering and medicine.
- Students
- 72,131
- Tuition
- SAR 30,050
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1953
- QS World Ranking
- 791-800
- 2027 edition
About IMSIU
Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University grew from the Academic Institute in Riyadh, opened around 1950 at the request of King Abdulaziz, and the College of Sharia founded in 1373 AH (1953), which the university calls one of the oldest Sharia colleges in the Muslim world. It became a full university in 1394 AH (1974). Today it describes itself as one of the largest government universities in Riyadh, with 72,131 students and 3,718 faculty members.
The university began with Islamic and humanities subjects and has expanded into science, computing, business, engineering and medicine. It has 14 colleges and 3 higher institutes, including Sharia, Fundamentals of Religion and Da'wah, Arabic Language, Social Sciences, Languages and Translation, Media and Communication, Business, Sciences, Computer and Information Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, with separate campuses for men and women; the women's campus is named after King Abdullah. It also runs an institute teaching Arabic to non-native speakers.
International students join mainly on government scholarships through the Ministry of Education's Study in Saudi platform. For bachelor's study the platform currently lists scholarship places only in Sharia, Fundamentals of Religion and Arabic Language, all taught in Arabic, so the university suits students set on Islamic or Arabic studies who can study in Arabic.
Why students choose IMSIU
The College of Sharia, founded in 1953, is the historic core of the university and one of the oldest Sharia colleges in the Muslim world.
International bachelor's scholarships in Sharia, Fundamentals of Religion and Arabic Language include a tuition waiver, a monthly stipend and travel tickets.
Graduates include Muslim World League Secretary General Mohammad Al-Issa and Masjid al-Haram imam Saud Al-Shuraim.
Non-Saudi residents of the Kingdom can take paid places in English-taught science and computing degrees such as Physics, Chemistry, Applied Statistics and Information Technology.
Admissions
2027-28 entry (academic year 1449 AH)
Selectivity
IMSIU does not publish an acceptance rate. Saudi applicants are ranked on a composite score; international students compete for scholarship places whose number is set each year, and the university says all departments except the College of Medicine are available to them.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school certificate (international scholarship applicants) | Secondary certificate or equivalent from your home country, of a type accepted for the programme, obtained no more than five years before applying; aged 17-25 for bachelor's study |
|---|---|
| Saudi General Secondary Certificate | Applied through the Unified Admission Platform; Medicine and Nursing only for applicants who finished school in the current year |
| English language | Only the College of Languages and Translation sets an English requirement: a score of 60 or above on the STEP English proficiency test or equivalent. International scholarship programmes are taught in Arabic and require the university's Arabic language proficiency test. |
Deadlines
IMSIU says the scholarship application window opens according to each academic year's requirements; no 2027-28 dates were published on the pages checked in September 2026. Check Study in Saudi and IMSIU's admissions page for the opening date.
How to apply
International applicants outside Saudi Arabia apply for an external scholarship through the Study in Saudi platform (studyinsaudi.sa), which IMSIU's admissions page links for international students; non-Saudis already living legally in the Kingdom apply for internal scholarships or paid places the same way. Applicants upload their secondary certificate and attested documents, sit the university's language test and, if required, an interview or written test, and pass a medical examination. Saudi applicants use the Unified Admission Platform (uap.sa).
What admissions looks for
- An accepted secondary certificate earned within the last five years, and an age of 17 to 25 for bachelor's scholarships.
- A pass in the university's language proficiency test, plus any interview or written test the university sets.
- A clean record: a certificate of good conduct from your home country, and no previous dismissal, scholarship or bachelor's degree from a Saudi institution.
- Where your home government requires it, its approval for you to study in Saudi Arabia.
Tips for applying to IMSIU
- 1 Apply before you turn 26 and within five years of finishing school: both limits are written into the scholarship conditions.
- 2 Get your certificates attested by the authorities IMSIU specifies before you apply, and obtain a police good-conduct certificate.
- 3 Female applicants should note the rule that a woman must be accompanied by a male guardian (mahram) who is covered by a scholarship, legally resident or sponsored by an employer.
- 4 Do not plan on Medicine: the university states that all departments except the College of Medicine are open to international scholarship students.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in SAR
Government scholarships for international students are internal (for non-Saudis already living legally in the Kingdom) or external (for students abroad), and may be full, partial or fee-paying. The bachelor's scholarship places IMSIU lists on Study in Saudi include a tuition waiver, a monthly stipend and travel tickets, but university housing and health insurance are marked as not available. After arrival, students can obtain a free residency permit for the length of their studies.
- Tuition waiver, monthly stipend, travel tickets; no housing or health insurance listed
- International bachelor's scholarship benefits (Study in Saudi)
- 200 SAR deducted
- Withdrawal before the semester starts
- 20% of fees deducted; no refund after week two
- Withdrawal in first two weeks
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Sharia
Taught in the 1953 college that founded the university; open to international scholarship applicants and priced at 39,250 SAR a year for resident paid places.
Fundamentals of Religion
Open to international scholarship students; alumni include Saud Al-Shuraim, who graduated in Islamic Creed in 1988.
Arabic Language
The third bachelor's open to international scholarship applicants, taught by the College of Arabic Language.
Engineering (common first year)
Men enter a common first year, then specialise in electrical, civil, mechanical, industrial, architectural or chemical engineering.
Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)
Entry through a foundation year, with at least 90 in school grades and both national tests plus an interview; not open to international scholarship students.
Media and Communication
Degrees in Public Relations, Advertising, Journalism and New Media, Radio and Television, and Cinema and Theatre.
Research
- The university's Higher Judicial Institute offers graduate study in comparative jurisprudence; Saud Al-Shuraim and the Prophet's Mosque imam Salah Al-Budair earned master's degrees there.
- IMSIU runs an institute teaching Arabic to non-native speakers in Riyadh and launched a digital Arabic language diploma for non-native speakers in 2026.
- The university lists 5 academic institutes abroad in addition to its 14 colleges and 3 higher institutes.
Schools & faculties
- College of Sharia
- College of Fundamentals of Religion and Da'wah
- College of Arabic Language
- College of Social Sciences
- College of Languages and Translation
- College of Media and Communication
- College of Business
- College of Sciences
- College of Computer and Information Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Medicine
- Applied College
Student life
IMSIU is spread over a men's campus and a women's campus named after King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in northern Riyadh, and many majors are offered to both, though some, such as Engineering and Cinema and Theatre, are listed for men only. International scholarship students study in Arabic alongside a very large student body. Because the Study in Saudi listings do not include university housing for international bachelor's scholarships, plan accommodation before arrival and confirm what the university offers.
- Separate campuses for men and women, the women's campus named after King Abdullah.
- Scholarship students receive a monthly stipend and annual travel tickets.
- An institute of Arabic for non-native speakers and a new digital Arabic diploma.
- The university reports more than 72,000 students.
Housing. The Study in Saudi listings for IMSIU's international bachelor's scholarships mark university housing as not available, although the university lists housing among possible scholarship benefits, so confirm arrangements before travelling.
Location
Riyadh is Saudi Arabia's capital and largest city, with about 7 million people in 2022, on the Najd plateau at around 600 metres. IMSIU is in the Shemal sub-municipality in the north of the city. The city has a driverless metro of six lines, and King Khalid International Airport lies about 35 km north of Riyadh.
Nearest airport: King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh (RUH)
Notable alumni
- MB Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-IssaSecretary General of the Muslim World League and former Saudi Minister of Justice; BA in comparative Islamic jurisprudence
- AA Abdul-Rahman Al-SudaisImam of the Masjid al-Haram; master's from IMSIU's College of Sharia (1987)
- SA Saud Al-ShuraimQuran reciter and former imam of the Masjid al-Haram; bachelor's (1988) and master's from IMSIU
- AM Abdullah Mohammed Al-HugailLongest-serving chairman of the Saudi British Bank (SABB); degree in Arabic Language and Literature
- TA Turki AldakhilJournalist, former general manager of Al Arabiya and Saudi ambassador to the UAE; studied at IMSIU
- GB Ghaith bin Moubarak Al-KuwariQatar's Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs; bachelor's in Islamic Sharia
- SA Sumaya AlnasserSaudi author and speaker; bachelor's (2011) and PhD in theology (2014)
- KA Khandaker Abdullah JahangirBangladeshi Islamic scholar and author; BA, MA and PhD from IMSIU
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University?
Through the Ministry of Education's Study in Saudi platform (studyinsaudi.sa), which IMSIU links from its admissions page. Applicants must pass the university's language test and may be asked to sit an interview or written test.
Which bachelor's degrees can international students take at IMSIU on a scholarship?
Study in Saudi currently lists bachelor's scholarship places in Sharia, Fundamentals of Religion and Arabic Language, all taught in Arabic. IMSIU says every department except Medicine can be opened to international scholarship students.
What is the age limit for IMSIU scholarships?
Bachelor's scholarship applicants must be between 17 and 25, and must have finished secondary school no more than five years earlier.
What does an IMSIU scholarship include?
The bachelor's scholarship places on Study in Saudi include a tuition waiver, a monthly stipend and travel tickets; housing and health insurance are marked as not available on those listings.
How much does IMSIU cost without a scholarship?
Non-Saudi residents of the Kingdom on paid bachelor's places pay 30,050 to 39,250 Saudi riyals (SAR) a year depending on the programme, according to Study in Saudi.
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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