Mustansiriyah University
الجامعة المستنصرية
A large public university in Baghdad with 13 colleges, morning and evening study, and roots in the 13th-century Mustansiriya Madrasa.
- Students
- 45,836
- 45,836 undergraduates
- Student–faculty
- 11:1
- ratio
- Founded
- 1963
- QS World Ranking
- 1001-1200
- 2027 edition
About MSU
Mustansiriyah University is a public university in Baghdad. It traces its origin to the Mustansiriya Madrasa, founded in 1227 by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir, and Wikipedia dates the modern university to 1963, when it was set up with support from the Iraqi Teachers' Union, initially offering evening courses. It became a separate university in 1968.
It is large. The table on its English homepage lists 45,836 students in 13 colleges (34,776 in morning undergraduate study and 11,060 in evening study) and 4,168 teaching staff, an overall student-to-lecturer ratio of about 11. The largest colleges are Basic Education (9,771 students), Education (6,477), Arts (5,817) and Management and Economics (5,292); Medicine has 3,480 students and Dentistry 719.
Foreign students are directed to the Ministry of Higher Education's Study in Iraq platform, and the university runs a separate evening-study application portal and a postgraduate application system for 2025-2026. Detailed fees and a fixed application calendar for foreign students were not found on the pages fetched. It suits students who want a Baghdad degree in education, arts, law, science, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or engineering, and who are prepared to work through Iraq's government-run admission system.
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ * الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ * عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
“Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not (Quran 96:3-5)” — university motto
Why students choose MSU
Its 13 colleges cover arts, education, law, science, engineering, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, political science and tourism sciences in one university.
It offers both morning and evening undergraduate study: 11,060 students were listed in evening programmes.
Its roots go back to the Mustansiriya Madrasa of 1227, and Wikipedia says the historic madrasa building, on the left bank of the Tigris, survived the Mongol invasion of 1258 and has been restored.
The homepage links directly to the Study in Iraq platform, a central postgraduate application system and a housing (residents distribution) system.
Admissions
Foreign students via Study in Iraq; 2025-2026 postgraduate system listed
Selectivity
No acceptance rate or foreign-student admission criteria were found on the pages fetched. The university's homepage links to the Study in Iraq platform, an evening-study application portal, an online interview system and a central postgraduate application system (2025-2026).
Foreign students apply through the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's Study in Iraq platform (studyiniraq.scrd-gate.gov.iq), which lists Mustansiriyah University among Iraq's public universities and describes free, half-free and self-funded routes. Postgraduate applicants use the university's postgraduate application system, and evening-study applicants use its evening-study portal.
Deadlines
No 2027 deadlines were found. The university's admissions portal requires a login and the content pages on its site did not load, so dates are left empty. Check the Study in Iraq platform and the university's admissions portal.
How to apply
Foreign students apply through the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's Study in Iraq platform (studyiniraq.scrd-gate.gov.iq), which lists Mustansiriyah University among Iraq's public universities and describes free, half-free and self-funded routes. Postgraduate applicants use the university's postgraduate application system, and evening-study applicants use its evening-study portal.
What admissions looks for
- The pages fetched do not describe selection criteria for foreign students.
Tips for applying to MSU
- 1 Start from the Study in Iraq platform: it lists Mustansiriyah University and the available free, half-free and self-funded routes.
- 2 Decide between morning and evening study early: the university runs separate evening application and timetable systems.
- 3 Use the university's housing (residents distribution) system to ask about accommodation.
- 4 Read your own government's current travel advice before planning a move, as noted in the location section.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 · figures in IQD
The Study in Iraq platform, which lists Mustansiriyah University, describes free scholarships covering tuition and housing, half-free scholarships covering half of study costs, and a self-funded route. No fee amounts for this university were found on the pages fetched.
Academics
College of Medicine
3,480 undergraduate students in the university's table, attached to Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital and the National Center of Hematology, according to Wikipedia.
College of Dentistry
The second dental college in Baghdad, according to Wikipedia, with 719 undergraduate students listed.
College of Science
The most heavily staffed college in the table (788 lecturers) with a student-to-lecturer ratio of 5.
College of Engineering
4,243 students and 447 lecturers on the university's homepage table.
College of Basic Education
The largest college, with 9,771 students, of which 1,629 are in evening study.
Research
- The homepage links to the Mustansiriyah Journal and the Qurtas Magazine, and lists a technological incubator.
- The university publishes a digital repository, a central library and a list of scientific journals.
- It reports its Scopus and Clarivate publication counts and patents on its homepage.
Schools & faculties
- College of Arts
- College of Management and Economics
- College of Science
- College of Medicine
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Basic Education
- College of Law
- College of Dentistry
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Political Science
- College of Physical Education and Sports Science
The university lists a Division of Rehabilitation and Employment; no graduate employment figures were found.
Student life
Mustansiriyah's homepage points students to university-life pages, e-learning, an online interviews system, lecture and exam timetables and a residents distribution system for housing. The scale is very large: more than 45,000 undergraduates, with a quarter studying in evening programmes. It also has a support unit for students with special needs. The pages fetched do not list named clubs or traditions.
- Morning and evening undergraduate study, with 11,060 evening students listed.
- An online housing (residents distribution) system and an e-interviews system.
- A unit that supports students with special needs.
- A physical education college with 1,073 students and a tourism sciences college with 865.
Housing. Accommodation is handled through the university's residents distribution (housing) system.
Location
The university is in Baghdad; its address is given as Palestine Street, Baghdad, and its historic Mustansiriya Madrasa building stands on the left bank of the Tigris. The UK FCDO advised against all but essential travel to Baghdad province (except Sadr City, where it advises against all travel) in advice still current on 30 September 2026 and last updated on 22 July 2026. Check your own government's current advice before planning to study here.
Nearest airport: Baghdad International Airport (BGW)
Notable alumni
- NA Nadhmi AuchiBusinessman and billionaire; B.Sc. in Economics and Political Science from Al-Mustansiriya University (1967), per Wikipedia
- RA Rahim AlHajOud player and composer; also received a degree in Arabic literature at Mustansiriya University, per Wikipedia
- AM Alia MamdouhNovelist and journalist; degree in psychology from Mustansiriya University (1971), per Wikipedia
- BK Betool KhedairiNovelist; BA in French literature from Mustansiriya University (1988), per Wikipedia
- KM Kasim Muhammad Taqi al-SahlaniMember of the Iraqi Council of Representatives; BA in Counselling, Guidance and Psychology from Al-Mustansiriya University, per Wikipedia
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to Mustansiriyah University?
Through the Ministry of Higher Education's Study in Iraq platform, which lists the university. Postgraduate applicants use the university's own postgraduate application system, and evening-study applicants use a separate portal.
How big is Mustansiriyah University?
Its homepage table lists 45,836 undergraduate students (34,776 morning, 11,060 evening) in 13 colleges and 4,168 teaching staff.
What is Mustansiriyah University's QS ranking?
In QS World University Rankings 2027 it is in the 1001-1200 band; the university's homepage shows the same band for QS 2025.
Is Mustansiriyah University the same as the historic Mustansiriya Madrasa?
It traces its origin to the madrasa founded in 1227, but Wikipedia dates the modern university to 1963, and it became a separate university in 1968.
What is the official travel advice for studying in Baghdad?
The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Baghdad province (except Sadr City, where it advises against all travel); that advice was still current on 30 September 2026 and was last updated on 22 July 2026. Check your own government's advice.
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.
- Mustansiriyah University: English homepage (student and staff table, rankings)
- Mustansiriyah University: Arabic homepage
- Study in Iraq platform (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research)
- UK FCDO travel advice for Iraq (still current 30 September 2026; updated 22 July 2026)
- THE World University Rankings 2026 (shared data)
- QS World University Rankings 2027
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