Kuwait University
جامعة الكويت
Kuwait's first public university, now consolidated at Sabah Al-Salem University City and admitting mainly Kuwaiti students.
- Students
- 29,943
- International
- 13%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 18.3:1
- ratio
- Founded
- 1966
About KU
Kuwait University (KU) was established in October 1966 by Amiri Decree Law No. 29 of 1966 as Kuwait's first public institution of higher education and research. For decades its colleges were spread across several Kuwait City campuses such as Shuwaikh, Khaldiya and Adailiya; they are now being brought together at Sabah Al-Salem University City in Al-Shadadiya.
The university's website lists 16 colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Architecture, Arts, Business Administration, Dentistry, Education, Engineering and Petroleum, Graduate Studies, Law, Life Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, Science, Sharia and Islamic Studies, and Social Sciences. Research priorities named by the university include environmental studies, biotechnology and renewable energy. THE's 2026 data puts enrolment at about 29,900 students, with 13% international.
KU is first and foremost Kuwait's national university. Most places go to Kuwaiti nationals, who are admitted through an equivalent grade-point average that combines the secondary school percentage with KU's own aptitude tests. Non-Kuwaiti students can only compete for places left vacant by Kuwaiti students, in the spring semester, and generally need at least 90% in secondary school. It suits students already living in Kuwait or nominated for a cultural scholarship, rather than students applying from abroad on their own.
وَقُلْ رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
“And say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge” — university motto
Why students choose KU
Kuwait's first public university, with 16 colleges ranging from Medicine and Dentistry to Engineering and Petroleum, Law and Sharia.
Admission is transparent: each college publishes the weights it gives to the secondary school percentage and to KU's English, Mathematics, Chemistry or Arabic aptitude tests.
Friendly and sister countries and some Kuwaiti bodies can nominate students for cultural scholarships, and 15 seats are reserved for top-ranked non-Kuwaiti residents who finished Kuwait's unified school system.
IELTS or TOEFL scores can replace KU's English aptitude test when the equivalent grade-point average is calculated, and can exempt students from preparatory English.
Admissions
2026/2027 academic year (fall 2026 intake; spring 2027 dates not yet published)
Selectivity
KU does not publish an admission rate. Kuwaiti applicants with at least 70% (science track) or 78% (arts track) are considered, and some colleges set higher floors: 85% for Medicine and Dentistry, 80% for Pharmacy, Public Health, Allied Health Sciences and Engineering and Petroleum. Non-Kuwaiti students compete only for vacancies left after Kuwaiti admissions, and their percentage must be at least the lowest percentage of Kuwaitis admitted to the same major.
Typical entry requirements
| Kuwaiti secondary school (science track) | At least 70% to be considered; some colleges set higher floors: 85% for Medicine and Dentistry, and 80% for Pharmacy, Public Health, Allied Health Sciences and Engineering and Petroleum |
|---|---|
| Kuwaiti secondary school (arts track) | At least 78% to be considered; Law, Arts, Sharia and Islamic Studies and Social Sciences admit arts-track graduates |
| Non-Kuwaiti residents, cultural scholarship and self-funded foreign students | At least 90% in secondary school, spring semester entry only, subject to vacancies |
| American and British-system schools in Kuwait | Accepted through the online system alongside the unified national curriculum; foreign certificates need an equivalency from the Private Education Department |
| English language | There is no single IELTS or TOEFL minimum. KU converts IELTS or TOEFL scores into an English aptitude test score (for example, IELTS 6.5 counts as 81 and IELTS 7.0 as 89), which then counts toward the equivalent grade-point average and can exempt students from preparatory English courses. |
Deadlines
- Spring semester 2025/2026 (online applications, last cycle) Non-binding Passed25 December 2025, 10:00
Online window 17-25 December 2025; non-Kuwaiti categories applied in person on 22 December 2025, and cultural scholarship applications were received 14-30 December 2025.
- Fall semester 2026/2027 (online applications) Non-binding Passed28 July 2026, 10:00
Online window 18-28 July 2026 for Kuwaiti graduates of schools in Kuwait; Kuwaitis with foreign certificates applied in person 22-28 July 2026. This window has closed.
KU admits students twice a year. Dates for the spring 2026/2027 intake (the next one open to non-Kuwaiti students) had not been published when this was checked; last year's spring window was mid-to-late December, so expect a similar timeline and check the Deanship of Admission and Registration.
How to apply
Kuwaiti graduates of schools in Kuwait (unified system, Religious Institute, American and English schools) apply online through the KU admission portal during a short window and list their preferred majors in order. Kuwaitis with certificates from abroad and non-Kuwaiti categories apply in person at the Admission and Registration Hall at Sabah Al-Salem University City. Applicants take the required KU aptitude tests, provide a civil ID (or passport for cultural scholarship students educated abroad), transcripts and a KD 10 application fee. Cultural scholarship candidates are nominated by their embassy or sponsoring body.
What admissions looks for
- A high secondary school percentage in the right track: science-track graduates for Medicine, Engineering, Science and the health colleges, arts-track graduates for Law, Arts, Sharia and Social Sciences.
- Strong results on the KU aptitude tests that your chosen college weights, such as English and Mathematics for Medicine.
- For non-Kuwaiti applicants, at least 90% in secondary school and a percentage no lower than the lowest admitted Kuwaiti student in that major.
- Some majors add conditions after admission to the college: a personal interview for Education and for the Social Service major in Social Sciences, and an English aptitude score of at least 40% for Business Administration.
Tips for applying to KU
- 1 Book the KU aptitude tests early, and check the 2026/2027 table of which tests each college requires and how they are weighted.
- 2 If your English is strong, submit IELTS or TOEFL results before the application window closes so they can replace the English aptitude test in your equivalent average.
- 3 List as many majors as you are eligible for when you apply: preferences cannot be changed after the application period ends.
- 4 Non-Kuwaiti students applying from abroad should go through their country's embassy for a cultural scholarship nomination; self-funded foreign students must already be legally resident in Kuwait.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in KWD
KU's admission guide distinguishes non-Kuwaiti students who study free of charge (such as cultural scholarship students and the 15 seats for top non-Kuwaiti graduates of Kuwait's unified system) from foreign students studying at their own expense, but it does not publish a tuition table. Cultural scholarships are offered to friendly and sister countries and some official Kuwaiti bodies, which nominate their candidates.
- KD 10 (non-refundable)
- Application fee
- 15 (top 10 science-track and top 5 arts-track graduates of the unified system)
- Seats for outstanding non-Kuwaiti residents
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (fall and spring), with admission in both
Medicine
Requires at least 85% in secondary school; the equivalent average is 75% school results, 15% English and 10% Mathematics aptitude tests.
Dentistry
Same entry formula as Medicine for 2026/2027: at least 85% in secondary school, weighted 75% school, 15% English, 10% Mathematics.
Engineering and Petroleum
Requires at least 80% in secondary school; Mathematics carries 20% and English 15% of the equivalent average, school results 65%.
Pharmacy
Requires at least 80% in secondary school, with English and Mathematics aptitude tests each weighted 15%.
Law
Admits on secondary school percentage rather than the equivalent average, and is open to arts-track graduates.
Research
- The university runs research centres focused on environmental studies, biotechnology and renewable energy, among other areas.
- Research is coordinated by the Office of the Vice President for Research, which runs shared general research facilities.
Schools & faculties
- College of Allied Health Sciences
- College of Architecture
- College of Arts
- College of Business Administration
- College of Dentistry
- College of Education
- College of Engineering and Petroleum
- College of Law
- College of Life Sciences
- College of Medicine
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Science
Student life
Student services at KU are run by the Deanship of Student Affairs, and the main campus is now Sabah Al-Salem University City in Al-Shadadiya, a purpose-built campus that brings together colleges that used to be spread across Shuwaikh, Khaldiya, Adailiya and other Kuwait City sites. The university calendar includes conferences and events hosted by individual colleges, such as its scientific research conference at the campus conference centre. Students enter in the fall or spring semester, and those who pass IELTS or TOEFL can skip preparatory English courses.
- Main campus: Sabah Al-Salem University City in Al-Shadadiya, replacing a network of older city campuses.
- The Deanship of Student Affairs coordinates student activities and services.
- IELTS or TOEFL results can exempt students from preparatory English courses.
Location
Kuwait City is the capital of a small Gulf state, and KU's main campus, Sabah Al-Salem University City, lies in the Al-Shadadiya area. The university's older campuses, such as Shuwaikh with its gate on Jamal Abdul Nasser Street overlooking the Gulf, are within minutes of downtown Kuwait City. Applicants from outside Kuwait should note that self-funded foreign students must already be legally resident in the country.
Nearest airport: Kuwait International Airport (KWI)
Notable alumni
- SA Sabah Al-Khalid Al-SabahCrown Prince of Kuwait and former Prime Minister; BA in political science (1977)
- FA Faiza Al-KharafiChemist, president of Kuwait University 1993-2002 and first woman to head a major Middle Eastern university; KU master's (1972) and PhD (1975)
- SA Sara AkbarOil industry executive; member of KU's first graduating class of chemical engineers (1981)
- RK Reem KelaniPalestinian singer and musicologist; biology degree
- SA Shurooq AminPainter and poet; BA in English literature (1988)
- HA Hassan Al-SayedQatari judge of the Qatar International Court; LLB (1993)
- MA Mubarak Al-HajrafLawyer and politician, elected to Kuwait's National Assembly from 2016; law degree
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study at Kuwait University?
Yes, but places are limited. Non-Kuwaiti students can apply only for the spring semester, for places left vacant after Kuwaiti admissions, and usually need at least 90% in secondary school. Students from abroad normally come through a cultural scholarship nominated by their government, while self-funded foreign students must already be legal residents of Kuwait.
What percentage do you need to get into Kuwait University?
Kuwaiti applicants are considered from 70% (science track) or 78% (arts track), but some colleges set higher floors: 85% for Medicine and Dentistry, and 80% for Pharmacy, Public Health, Allied Health Sciences and Engineering and Petroleum.
What are the Kuwait University aptitude tests?
KU's own tests in English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Arabic. Depending on the college, their results are combined with your secondary school percentage into an equivalent grade-point average used to rank applicants.
Does Kuwait University accept IELTS or TOEFL?
Yes. IELTS, TOEFL iBT or TOEFL PBT scores can replace the English aptitude test in the admission calculation, using KU's conversion table (IELTS 6.5 counts as 81 out of 100), and can exempt you from preparatory English.
When does Kuwait University accept applications?
Twice a year. For fall 2026 the online window ran from 18 to 28 July 2026; last year's spring window ran from 17 to 25 December 2025, with cultural scholarship applications accepted from 14 to 30 December 2025.
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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