Saint Joseph University of Beirut
Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth
Lebanon's Jesuit-founded French-language university, home to the Hôtel-Dieu de France and the country's oldest law school.
- Students
- 8,540
- International
- 13%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 8.4:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $10,680
- From · 2025-26
- Founded
- 1875
About USJ
Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) grew out of a school opened by French Jesuits in Beirut in 1839 and became a university in 1875, when their seminary moved from Ghazir to Beirut. Pope Leo XIII made it a pontifical university in 1881, its medical school opened in 1883, and its French law school, founded in 1913 under the patronage of the University of Lyon, is modern Lebanon's oldest law school.
French is USJ's main language of instruction, alongside Arabic and English, and a growing set of bachelor's degrees is taught fully in English, including business administration, banking, hospitality, translation, data science and computer and communication engineering. The university follows the European ECTS credit system, is organised into faculties, schools and institutes spread over several Beirut campuses on Rue de Damas and elsewhere, and has regional campuses in North Lebanon, South Lebanon and Zahle. Its university hospital is the Hôtel-Dieu de France.
Admission is programme by programme: many courses select on school records, while medicine, dentistry and pharmacy hold competitive entrance exams. USJ suits francophone students who want Lebanon's most established route into medicine, law, engineering and public life, and it is unusually generous with aid: 64% of students received financial aid in 2024-25.
Why students choose USJ
USJ's Faculty of Law and Political Science, with roots in the 1913 French law school, offers both French and Lebanese law and runs SciencesPo Beyrouth (Institut des sciences politiques).
The Faculty of Medicine, founded in 1883, trains doctors at the university's own hospital, the Hôtel-Dieu de France.
The university gave USD 28.6 million in financial aid in 2024-25, and 64% of students (6,492) benefited.
Admission runs in three periods (early, regular and late) plus a second-semester intake, and one application fee covers all of them.
Admissions
First-cycle (undergraduate) entry for 2027-28
Selectivity
USJ publishes no overall admission rate. Selection is by programme: most programmes admit on a review of school grades (grade 11 and 12 transcripts), while medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and some health programmes use entrance exams. Places for medicine and dentistry are limited, and candidates may sit their entrance exam at most twice.
Typical entry requirements
| Lebanese Baccalaureate | Required or official equivalent; streams SG or SVT for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy; 17/20 average gives direct admission to most institutions (admission sur titre) |
|---|---|
| French Baccalaureate | Accepted with matching specialities (e.g. Maths, Physics-Chemistry and SVT for Medicine); 17/20 gives direct admission to most institutions; for foreign applicants, 18.5/20 gives direct entry to any institution including Medicine |
| Foreign applicants (admission à titre étranger) | Non-Lebanese students who completed the last three years of secondary school abroad compete for a reserved quota of places in each institution |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 For English-taught bachelor's programmes: category B on USJ's English Placement Test, or TOEFL iBT 80 (paper 548) or IELTS 6.5. French-taught programmes require the French aptitude test (TALF); DELF/DALF B2 or above, or 10/20 in the French bac French exams, gives exemption. |
Deadlines
- Early period (Période anticipée) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months19 October - 17 December 2026
Results for programmes without entrance exams at the end of January 2027; Medicine and Dentistry exams 8-9 January 2027, results mid-February 2027.
- Regular period (Période régulière) Non-binding In ~8 months1 February - 18 June 2027
Results in waves from end of April to mid-July 2027; Pharmacy exam 1-2 July 2027.
- Late period (Période tardive) Non-binding In ~10 months19 June - 20 August 2027
One choice only; results 4 August and 27 August 2027. Late-period tests on 26 August 2027.
- Second semester Non-binding In ~15 months1 December 2027 - 12 January 2028
One choice only; results from 15 January 2028.
Dates are from USJ's official 2027-2028 first-cycle admission file. Admission is confirmed only by paying the confirmation slip within the stated deadline (6 days after results for many programmes). Foreign applicants admitted on a 17/20 or 18.5/20 French bac average must confirm by Friday 13 August 2027.
How to apply
Apply online at admission.usj.edu.lb or at a USJ reception office. Choose up to 9 programmes in order of priority (only one choice in the late period and second semester), attach grade 10 and 11 transcripts (plus grade 12 for later periods), an ID photo and ID document, and pay a one-off USD 150 application fee that covers all admission periods for 2027-28.
What admissions looks for
- Strong grades in grades 10-12 (seconde, première, terminale), used to rank candidates for programmes admitting on file review.
- The right bac specialities for the chosen programme, for example Maths, Physics-Chemistry and SVT for Medicine.
- Adequate French (TALF) or English (TALA, TOEFL or IELTS) depending on the programme's language.
- Performance in entrance exams for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, and in oral tests for programmes such as speech therapy and psychomotricity.
Tips for applying to USJ
- 1 Apply in the early period (from 19 October 2026) and list up to 9 programmes: you can be admitted to several at once, except within a 'joint jury' group, which gives one admission per candidate.
- 2 Take the French aptitude test before submitting your file; Law, ETIB, ESIB, INCI and Nutrition need category A.
- 3 If you are not Lebanese and did your last three school years abroad, tick 'admission à titre étranger' to compete for the reserved quota.
- 4 Medicine and Dentistry candidates can sit the entrance exam only twice in total, so prepare properly for the January 2027 exams (chemistry, maths, general culture, physics, biology).
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 · figures in USD
USJ runs an extensive aid programme: in 2024-25 it gave USD 28.6 million in aid (about 30% of its budget), including USD 15.6 million in social (need-based) grants, USD 2.3 million in loans, excellence scholarships covering all or part of the first three years for top French and Lebanese bac holders, Magis scholarships, sibling reductions, sports scholarships and dedicated scholarships for international students.
- 64% (6,492 students)
- Students receiving financial aid (2024-25)
- USD 28,567,627
- Total financial aid (2024-25)
- USD 150, one-off for all admission periods
- Application fee (2027-28)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (ECTS credits, 60 per full-time year)
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
A 420-credit programme at a faculty founded in 1883, with clinical training at the Hôtel-Dieu de France and a competitive January entrance exam.
Licence in Law (Lebanese law)
A 240-credit licence at Lebanon's oldest modern law school, which teaches both French and Lebanese law.
Engineering diploma (ESIB)
A 300-credit diplôme d'ingénieur with specialisations in civil, chemical and petrochemical, electrical, industrial and computer and communication engineering.
Bachelor of Engineering in Computer and Communication Engineering (CCE)
ESIB's English-taught route, requiring TALA category B or TOEFL 80 / IELTS 6.5 instead of the French test.
Translation (ETIB)
Offered in French (Arabic, English and French) or English, with written and oral language entrance tests.
Bachelor's in Business Administration and Management (BBA)
Taught fully in English by the Faculty of Business and Management.
Research
- The university's collections include the Bibliothèque Orientale (Oriental Library) and the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory.
- Research is coordinated by a Vice-rectorate for Research with doctoral schools, research structures and a Research2Market programme.
- The Hôtel-Dieu de France serves as the university hospital for clinical research and training.
Schools & faculties
- Faculté de médecine (Faculty of Medicine)
- Faculté de médecine dentaire (Faculty of Dental Medicine)
- Faculté de pharmacie (Faculty of Pharmacy)
- École supérieure d'ingénieurs de Beyrouth (ESIB)
- Institut national des télécommunications et de l'informatique (INCI)
- Faculté de droit et des sciences politiques (Faculty of Law and Political Science)
- Faculté de sciences économiques (Faculty of Economics)
- Faculté de gestion et de management (Faculty of Business and Management)
- Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines Ramez G. Chagoury
- Faculté des sciences (Faculty of Sciences)
- École de traducteurs et d'interprètes de Beyrouth (ETIB)
- Institut d'études scéniques, audiovisuelles et cinématographiques (IESAV)
Student life
USJ is a city university: its Beirut campuses (humanities, medical sciences, innovation and sport, social sciences, and science and technology) are spread across the city, several of them on Rue de Damas, with regional campuses in North Lebanon, South Lebanon and Zahle. Student life runs through the student council, faculty student associations (amicales), clubs, the sports service and volunteering such as Opération 7e jour. The university also offers a student residence and services for orientation, psychological support and careers.
- Several Beirut campuses plus regional campuses in North Lebanon, South Lebanon and Zahle.
- Faculty student associations (amicales), clubs and an elected student council.
- Volunteering through Opération 7e jour and campus pastoral programmes.
- Erasmus+ and other exchange opportunities through the international office.
Housing. USJ runs a student residence (Résidence USJ); most students live at home or rent privately in Beirut.
Location
Beirut is Lebanon's capital, a dense Mediterranean city where Arabic, French and English are all widely used, with the mountains and the coast within easy reach. USJ currently collects 70% of each credit's price in US dollars and 30% in Lebanese pounds at the real exchange rate.
Nearest airport: Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY)
Frequently asked questions
What language is Saint Joseph University taught in?
Mainly French, with Arabic and English. French-taught programmes require the TALF French test; English-taught bachelor's programmes require TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5 or category B on USJ's English test.
When can I apply to USJ for 2027-28?
The early period runs from 19 October to 17 December 2026, the regular period from 1 February to 18 June 2027, and the late period from 19 June to 20 August 2027. A second-semester window runs from 1 December 2027 to 12 January 2028.
How much does USJ cost per year?
Fees are charged per credit. At 2025-26 rates and 60 credits a year, most licences cost about USD 10,700-11,500, engineering about USD 16,100 and medicine about USD 25,400. 70% is paid in dollars and 30% in Lebanese pounds.
How do I get into medicine at USJ?
Through an entrance exam in chemistry, maths, general culture, physics and biology, held on 8-9 January 2027 for the early period. You need a Lebanese SG/SVT bac or French bac with Maths, Physics-Chemistry and SVT, and you can sit the exam only twice.
Can international students study at USJ?
Yes. Non-Lebanese students who completed their last three school years abroad can apply under 'admission à titre étranger', with a reserved quota in each institution, and USJ offers scholarships for international students.
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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