Khon Kaen University
มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก่น
Northeast Thailand's first university: a large research campus with its own teaching hospital and an English-taught International College.
- Students
- 41,329
- International
- 3%
- of students
- Tuition
- THB 120K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1964
About KKU
Khon Kaen University was established in 1964 as the first university in northeast Thailand (Isan), a region the university describes as home to about a third of the country's population; its founding act was published on 25 January 1966, which KKU marks as its official founding day. It started with 107 students and three faculties, and was named one of Thailand's nine National Research Universities in 2009. Since 2015 it has been an autonomous university under state supervision.
Today KKU's admissions office lists 19 faculties, 5 colleges, 306 programmes and 41,329 current students. Faculties are grouped into science and technology, health sciences, and humanities and social sciences, and the health side is especially large: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, public health, associated medical sciences and veterinary medicine, with Srinagarind Hospital and the Queen Sirikit Heart Center of the Northeast on campus. A second campus operates in Nong Khai on the Mekong.
Most degrees are taught in Thai and filled through the national TCAS system. International undergraduates usually enter through the KKU International College (KKUIC), which runs English-taught bachelor's programmes in business, tourism, international relations, creative media and innovation management, with its own direct admission rounds and online interviews. KKU suits students who want a big, affordable campus university in a regional city rather than Bangkok.
Vidyā Cariyā Paññā
“Knowledge, Virtues, Wisdom” — university motto
Why students choose KKU
KKU is a comprehensive university with one of Thailand's largest health science groups, including its own teaching hospital, Srinagarind Hospital.
The International College runs English-taught bachelor's programmes with several direct admission rounds a year and a January as well as an August start.
KKUIC tuition for non-Thai students is 50,000-63,000 baht per semester plus a 10,000 baht international student fee, and KKU estimates living costs at 8,000-15,000 baht a month.
Graduates include Palme d'Or-winning film director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who took his architecture degree here.
Admissions
Academic year 2027 (Thai academic year 2570), plus KKUIC's January 2027 intake
Selectivity
KKU does not publish an overall acceptance rate. Thai applicants are selected through TCAS rounds (portfolio, regional quota, admission scores) with programme-specific criteria and quotas; KKUIC selects international applicants through its own direct admission rounds with an English writing test or test scores and an interview.
Typical entry requirements
| KKUIC direct admission (international) | Foreign nationality; completed secondary school (e.g. US Grade 12, A-levels, IB Diploma, BTEC, French Baccalaureate, NCEA or GED with at least 600 total and 145 per subject); GPAX 2.00 or above; foreign diplomas need a Thai High School Equivalence Certificate |
|---|---|
| Thai students (TCAS) | Programme-specific criteria and quotas published by KKU for each TCAS round |
| English language | IELTS 5 · TOEFL iBT 61 KKUIC accepts IELTS Academic 5.0, TOEFL iBT 61, TOEFL ITP 500, SAT Reading and Writing 450, CEFR B1, EnglishScore 320 or Linguaskill 155 (results under 2 years old) to skip the English writing test; applicants who fall short may be required to take the paid ESAP English course. |
Deadlines
- KKUIC Direct Admission, Semester 2 Round 1 (January 2027 start) Non-binding Passed30 September 2026
Applications 24 August - 30 September 2026; online test and interview 14 October; results 21 October; semester starts 18 January 2027. Foreign nationals only.
- TCAS Round 1.1 Portfolio (academic year 2027) Next deadline · In 27 days2 November 2026
Applications 15 October - 2 November 2026; interviews 8-9 December 2026. A second portfolio round (1.2) runs 10-15 February 2027.
- KKUIC Direct Admission, Semester 2 Round 2 (January 2027 start) Non-binding In 45 days20 November 2026
Applications 2-20 November 2026.
- TCAS Round 2 Quota (academic year 2027) In ~6 months30 March 2027
Applications 16-30 March 2027; for eligible applicants under the regional quota.
- TCAS Round 3 Admission (academic year 2027) In ~7 months11 May 2027
Applications 7-11 May 2027.
TCAS dates are from KKU's calendar for academic year 2570 (announcement 1625/2569, 22 July 2026) and may change. KKUIC direct admission rounds for the August 2027 intake have not been published yet; in the previous cycle they ran from October 2025 to July 2026 in five rounds.
How to apply
International applicants apply online to KKUIC at apply-ic.kku.ac.th, then sit an online writing test and interview in English on Zoom. Admitted students pay a 10,000 baht admission fee and a 10,000 baht international student fee before enrolling. Thai applicants apply through the national TCAS system.
What admissions looks for
- Completion of an accepted secondary qualification with a GPAX of at least 2.00 (KKUIC).
- English good enough for an English-taught degree, shown by a test score or KKUIC's own writing test.
- For BBA programmes, basic mathematics shown by SAT Math or KKUIC's maths test.
- Motivation and communication in an online interview conducted in English.
Tips for applying to KKU
- 1 Send an IELTS, TOEFL, SAT or EnglishScore result with your KKUIC application to go straight to the interview instead of sitting the writing test.
- 2 Start the Thai High School Equivalence Certificate early if you hold a foreign diploma or GED; the Ministry of Education process is required before enrolment.
- 3 KKUIC has a January intake as well as August, so a late decision need not cost you a year.
- 4 Do not confirm a TCAS place if you plan to enter through KKUIC direct admission: applicants who have confirmed via TCAS are not eligible.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in THB
KKU offers university scholarships and student loans, including support for students with financial difficulties. The KKU Scholarship for ASEAN and GMS countries funds master's and doctoral study for nationals of ASEAN and Greater Mekong Subregion countries; undergraduate international aid is limited.
- 10,000 baht
- KKUIC admission fee (one-off)
- 10,000 baht per semester
- International student fee
- Master's and doctoral applicants from ASEAN and GMS countries, aged 40 or under
- KKU ASEAN-GMS Scholarship
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters a year (KKUIC's second semester of academic year 2026 starts on 18 January 2027)
Medicine (Faculty of Medicine)
Taught with Srinagarind Hospital, built as KKU's teaching hospital and a major provider of care for northeast Thailand.
Architecture
The faculty where film director Apichatpong Weerasethakul earned his bachelor's degree in 1994.
Engineering
One of KKU's three founding faculties; graduates include former House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont and former foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul.
KKUIC Global Business Management and International Marketing (BBA)
English-taught business degrees with direct admission, online interviews and SAT Math accepted.
KKUIC International Relations and Diplomacy
One of the International College's English-taught programmes, alongside tourism diplomacy and international development.
Agriculture
A founding faculty working on the water and farming challenges of the arid northeast.
Research
- Selected by the Thai government in 2009 as one of nine National Research Universities.
- Research on small-scale rural water resources and on diseases affecting the northeast has been central to KKU's regional mission.
- KKU founded the Mekong Institute (now an international organisation) and the Institute for Peace Studies, and hosts the Northeastern Science Park.
- KKU says it ranked first in Thailand overall in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings in both 2019 and 2020, its first two years of participation (KKU 'Rankings and awards' page).
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Nursing
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- International College
Student life
KKU's main campus is a large, green site about 4 km from Khon Kaen city centre, with its own hospitals, stadium, art centre, central library and halls of residence. Most campus life is in Thai and organised around faculties and student organisations run through the student affairs office. International College students have their own clubs, student union, wellbeing week and international field trips. Living costs are modest: KKU estimates 8,000-15,000 baht a month.
- Srinagarind Hospital and the Queen Sirikit Heart Center of the Northeast on campus.
- KKUIC student clubs, student union and international field trips.
- 50th Anniversary Stadium and campus sports facilities.
- A second campus in Nong Khai with faculties of business administration, integrated social sciences, liberal arts, and applied science and engineering.
Housing. KKU offers on-campus halls of residence and residential services; many students rent private rooms near campus instead.
Location
Khon Kaen is the main city of Khon Kaen Province in Isan, the large, largely rural northeast of Thailand that KKU was founded to serve. The university sits about 4 km from the city, and living costs are lower than in Bangkok. KKU's Nong Khai campus lies further north on the Mekong River.
Nearest airport: Khon Kaen Airport (KKC)
Notable alumni
- AW Apichatpong WeerasethakulFilm director; won the 2010 Cannes Palme d'Or for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives; bachelor's in architecture (1994)
- SK Somsak KiatsuranontFormer Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand (2011-2013); bachelor's degree in engineering
- ST Surapong TovichakchaikulFormer Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Bachelor of Engineering
- TS Tanwarin SukkhapisitFilmmaker and Thailand's first openly transgender member of parliament (elected 2019); attended KKU
- JB Jatupat BoonpattararaksaHuman rights activist and community lawyer; studied at the Faculty of Law
- SK Sukollawat KanarosActor and singer; bachelor's in civil engineering
- NS Niane SivongxayLao zoologist and herpetologist; PhD from KKU
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study in English at Khon Kaen University?
Yes. The KKU International College runs English-taught bachelor's programmes in areas such as business, tourism, international relations, creative media and innovation management, with its own direct admission rounds.
How much does Khon Kaen University cost for international students?
At the International College, non-Thai students pay 50,000-63,000 baht per semester plus a 10,000 baht international student fee, about 120,000-146,000 baht a year, plus a one-off 10,000 baht admission fee.
What IELTS score does KKU International College require?
IELTS Academic 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 61 (or equivalents such as CEFR B1) lets you skip KKUIC's English writing test. All applicants still have an online interview in English.
When can I apply to Khon Kaen University?
KKUIC's rounds for the January 2027 intake close on 30 September and 20 November 2026. For Thai-track entry in 2027, TCAS portfolio applications open 15 October 2026.
What is Khon Kaen University's QS ranking?
KKU is in the 901-950 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027.
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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