King Saud University
جامعة الملك سعود
Saudi Arabia's first university, where most international undergraduates study on a scholarship with a monthly stipend.
- Students
- 85,617
- Founded
- 1957
- QS World Ranking
- #107
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Urban
About KSU
King Saud University was created by Royal Decree No. 17 on 12 November 1957 as the first university in Saudi Arabia, opening with a College of Arts and a College of Sciences. It was called Riyadh University from 1964 to 1982. KSU now describes itself as a comprehensive institution of twenty-three colleges plus specialised institutes and research centres, grouped into science, health and humanities colleges, the College of Applied Studies and a branch campus at Al-Muzahimiyah.
The university is large: its 2025 annual report counts about 85,600 enrolled students across diploma, bachelor's and postgraduate levels, and about 14,600 graduates that year. Since the 2026/27 admission cycle, Saudi applicants are admitted directly into a degree programme through the National Unified Admission Platform, ranked on a weighted score of 30% high school GPA, 30% Qudurat aptitude test and 40% Tahsili achievement test. Selective Academic Excellence tracks in medicine, engineering and computing require a weighted score of at least 95% or 90%.
For international students the main door is the external scholarship route through the national Study in Saudi platform: tuition is covered and scholarship students receive a monthly stipend, housing and health care. KSU suits strong students, especially in the sciences, health and engineering, who are comfortable studying in Riyadh in Arabic and English, and who are ready for a structured, rules-based admission process.
ريادة وتميز
“Leadership and Excellence” — university motto
Why students choose KSU
External scholarship students pay no tuition and receive a monthly stipend of SR 1,000 in science majors or SR 850 in humanities, plus university housing and health care at the university hospital.
KSU is ranked 107th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and 151-200 in ARWU 2026, and reports an 11th-place world ranking in Engineering in ARWU 2025.
Health sciences are a major strength, with colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Applied Medical Sciences and the Prince Sultan College for Emergency Medical Services.
Graduate outcomes are published by college: the 2025 annual report shows about 89% of Computer and Information Sciences graduates employed within their first year.
Admissions
2026/2027 academic year (latest published rules; 2027/28 rules not yet published)
Selectivity
KSU does not publish an acceptance rate. Saudi applicants are ranked on a weighted score (30% high school GPA, 30% Qudurat, 40% Tahsili) through the National Unified Admission Platform; Academic Excellence programmes need at least 95% (Medicine and Surgery) or 90% (engineering and computing). International scholarship seats are limited.
Typical entry requirements
| International applicants (external scholarship) | Secondary school diploma recognised for the intended programme, SAT 1010 or higher, age 17 to 25, diploma obtained within the last five years, medical fitness; interview for Medicine and Dentistry |
|---|---|
| Saudi secondary certificate (Saudi applicants and residents) | Weighted score of 30% GPA, 30% Qudurat and 40% Tahsili; at least 95% for Medicine and Surgery and 90% for Academic Excellence engineering and computing programmes |
| Fee-based health sciences (non-residents) | External scholarship requirements plus SAT 1200 for Medicine and Surgery, diploma within the last two years for Medicine |
Deadlines
Application windows and timelines are published on the Study in Saudi platform each year; KSU's own pages do not list a fixed date, so check the portal for the 2027 intake.
How to apply
Non-residents apply online through the Study in Saudi platform (studyinsaudi.sa) for an external scholarship or a fee-based health sciences place, uploading attested certificates and SAT scores. Residents of Saudi Arabia apply for internal scholarships through the same platform or for fee-based places via KSU's electronic admission portal. Saudi students apply through the National Unified Admission Platform.
What admissions looks for
- A recognised secondary school diploma with strong grades, backed by a valid SAT score (1010 minimum for scholarships).
- Applicants aged 17 to 25 who have not already started or completed a degree elsewhere.
- For Medicine and Dentistry, success in a personal interview; for Architecture and Planning, a written test.
- For Academic Excellence programmes, top scores that can be sustained: a first-year GPA of 4.5 out of 5 in Medicine or 4.0 in other excellence tracks to stay in.
Tips for applying to KSU
- 1 Take the SAT early: 1010 is the scholarship minimum, and Medicine needs 1200 on the fee-based route.
- 2 Get your certificates attested by the authorities your country requires before the Study in Saudi window opens.
- 3 Check whether your chosen programme is open to male students, female students or both, since KSU's programme tables list availability separately.
- 4 Admission cannot be deferred, so apply for the year you actually plan to start.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in SAR
External and internal scholarship students study tuition-free and receive a monthly stipend (SR 1,000 in science majors, SR 850 in humanities and social sciences), university housing, health care, a furnishing allowance worth two months' stipend and a graduation allowance worth three months' stipend. Fee-based places are also offered in health sciences and, for residents, other colleges; KSU does not publish those fees on its admission pages.
- SR 1,000 (science majors) or SR 850 (humanities and social sciences)
- Monthly stipend, undergraduate scholarship students
- Two months' stipend
- Arrival furnishing allowance
- University housing for all scholarship students
- Housing
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Medicine and Surgery (Academically Distinguished Students)
Requires a weighted score of at least 95% (or SAT 1200 on the fee-based route) and a 4.5/5 first-year GPA to continue.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
Part of a College of Engineering that KSU reports ranked 11th in the world in ARWU 2025; KSU also reports 33rd in Petroleum Engineering.
Computer Science and Software Engineering (Academically Distinguished Students)
Excellence-track programmes in the College of Computer and Information Sciences, whose graduates had about 89% first-year employment in 2025.
Doctor of Pharmacy
KSU reports 21st in the world for Pharmacy in ARWU 2025, and 87% first-year graduate employment for the college.
General Dentistry
Interview-based admission; KSU reports a 48th-place world ranking in Dentistry.
Arabic for non-native speakers (College of Language Sciences)
A four-semester intensive Arabic diploma that also prepares international scholarship students for degree study.
Research
- KSU reports that it published 23% of Saudi Arabia's academic research.
- Fourteen KSU scientific journals are indexed in Web of Science (ESCI, SCIE and SSCI).
- KSU reports 20th place worldwide in the THE Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026.
- KSU won 8 medals at the 2025 Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions.
Schools & faculties
- College of Medicine
- College of Dentistry
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Applied Medical Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Computer and Information Sciences
- College of Sciences
- College of Business Administration
- College of Architecture and Planning
- College of Food and Agricultural Sciences
- College of Law and Political Sciences
- College of Language Sciences
KSU's 2025 annual report lists first-year employment rates by college, led by Applied Engineering at Al-Muzahimiyah (90%), Computer and Information Sciences (89%), Architecture and Planning (89%), Food and Agricultural Sciences (88%) and Pharmacy (87%). The university graduated 14,649 students in 2025.
Student life
KSU's main campus in Riyadh is a self-contained city of colleges, a university hospital, mosques and housing, with programmes offered in separate male and female sections. International scholarship students are met at King Khalid International Airport, housed in university accommodation, paired with a student mentor of the same nationality and given discounted meals. The International Students Department runs the Peoples' Heritage Festival, celebrates International Students Day, and organises trips to Mecca, Medina and other Saudi regions as well as joint activities with Saudi students.
- About 3,947 international students from 99 nationalities in 2025.
- The Peoples' Heritage Festival, a cultural showcase run for international students.
- Organised visits to Mecca, Medina and other governorates, and Saudi National Day celebrations.
- A same-nationality student mentor for every new scholarship student.
Housing. University housing is provided for all scholarship students, with new arrivals placed in a hospitality wing until permanent rooms are assigned.
Location
Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia and its largest city, a fast-growing, car-oriented metropolis with a hot desert climate. KSU's main campus lies in the north-west of the city, with a branch at Al-Muzahimiyah to the south-west. Scholarship students live on campus, which keeps day-to-day costs and commuting low.
Nearest airport: King Khalid International Airport (RUH)
Notable alumni
- MB Mohammed bin SalmanCrown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia; law degree from KSU
- FB Faisal bin Farhan Al SaudSaudi Minister of Foreign Affairs
- IA Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-AssafFormer Saudi Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs
- SA Saleh Abdullah KamelBusinessman, founder and chairman of Dallah Al-Baraka
- RN Rania NasharBanker and businesswoman; computer science graduate (1997)
- HA Haifa al-MogrinSaudi permanent representative to UNESCO
- FA Fahad Al-JalajelSaudi Minister of Health
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study at King Saud University for free?
Yes, through the external scholarship route on the Study in Saudi platform: scholarship students pay no tuition and receive a monthly stipend of SR 1,000 (science) or SR 850 (humanities), housing and health care. Places are limited.
What SAT score do I need for King Saud University?
The external scholarship requires an SAT score of at least 1010. Fee-based applicants to Medicine and Surgery need at least 1200.
Is there an age limit for King Saud University scholarships?
Yes. External scholarship applicants must be between 17 and 25 and must have obtained their secondary diploma within the last five years.
What is King Saud University's acceptance rate?
KSU does not publish one. Saudi applicants are ranked on a weighted score of GPA, Qudurat and Tahsili, and international scholarship seats are limited in number.
Does King Saud University interview applicants?
Only for Medicine and Dentistry, which require a personal interview; Architecture and Planning uses a written test.
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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