Shahid Beheshti University
دانشگاه شهید بهشتی
Tehran's former National University, on the Alborz foothills, strong in architecture, law, sciences and engineering.
- Students
- 17,067
- 7,507 undergraduates
- Founded
- 1959
- QS World Ranking
- 781-790
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Urban
- 129.5 hectares on four campuses; central campus 60 hectares
About SBU
Shahid Beheshti University (SBU) was established in 1959 as the National University of Iran and began teaching in 1960 with 174 students in two faculties, Architecture and Urban Planning, and Banking and Economics. It sits on a 60-hectare central campus in the Evin area of northern Tehran, at the foot of the Alborz Mountains. Its former medical and dental schools became the separate Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 1986, so SBU itself does not teach medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or veterinary medicine.
Today SBU describes itself as having about 19,000 students and 20 faculties, from Letters and Human Sciences, Law and Theology to Physics, Mathematical Sciences, Nuclear Engineering and New Technologies and Aerospace Engineering, plus ten research institutes. In 2013 the former Power and Water University of Technology joined as the Shahid Abbaspour Technical and Engineering Campus, which now houses mechanical, electrical and computer, and civil engineering. The university offers 69 bachelor's, 208 master's and 136 PhD programmes, and since 1990 has put particular weight on postgraduate research.
Most students are Iranian and are admitted through the national entrance exam. International students are a small group (the university has reported between about 250 and 350) and study mainly in Persian, usually after a course at SBU's Persian Language Center. SBU suits applicants who want a large public university in Tehran with strong humanities, law and science faculties and who are prepared for Persian-medium study and the practical constraints of living in Iran.
زندگی یعنی امید و حرکت
“Life means hope and movement” — university motto
Why students choose SBU
SBU was Iran's National University, and its founding Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning trained architects such as Leila Araghian, designer of Tehran's Tabiat Bridge.
A broad range of 20 faculties spanning law, economics and political science, theology, sciences and engineering on three campuses.
A Persian Language Center for non-Persian speakers prepares international students for Persian-taught degrees.
International students can use all of the university's sports and leisure facilities and live in furnished campus dormitories.
Admissions
International entry for autumn 2027 (dates for 2027 not yet published)
Selectivity
SBU does not publish an acceptance rate. Iranian students are placed through the national university entrance exam (Konkur); international applicants are reviewed individually by an admission committee after the International Students Office checks their file.
Typical entry requirements
| High school diploma (international applicants) | A high school diploma with confirmation of the diploma, official transcripts, passport copy and photo; recommendation letters optional for bachelor's applicants |
|---|---|
| Persian language | Acceptable Persian skills, shown by a Persian language certificate or by completing SBU's Persian language course |
Deadlines
SBU has not published 2027 dates. The most recent deadlines on its site were for fall 2024 entry: 22 July for bachelor's applicants. SBU says processing takes one to two months once all documents are in, so apply well before the autumn semester.
How to apply
Choose a programme, create an account on SBU's international admissions portal (int.sbu.ac.ir) and submit the online apply form, then upload documents through the Send Doc link: passport copy and photo, diploma confirmation, official transcripts and optional recommendation letters. Applicants must also register on the Student Affairs Organization's website (Iran's Ministry of Science) to obtain a tracking code. After the admission committee decides, admitted students request a student visa through the International Students Office, collect the visa within 30 days at an Iranian embassy or consulate, and apply for temporary residency after registering in Tehran.
What admissions looks for
- A completed secondary school diploma with official transcripts and confirmed documents.
- Persian skills sufficient for study, or a plan to complete SBU's Persian course first.
- A complete application: SBU says all applications are read in their entirety and incomplete forms are sent back for correction.
- Applicants who are, in SBU's words, smart, ambitious and genuinely eager to learn.
Tips for applying to SBU
- 1 Register on the Student Affairs Organization website as well as SBU's portal: you need the tracking code it issues.
- 2 Budget for a Persian course (4.5 months at the Persian Language Center) if you are not already fluent.
- 3 Have your school documents approved by your own country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before travelling: SBU asks for originals approved this way at registration.
- 4 Check your own government's sanctions rules and travel advice before applying: SBU is a designated entity on the EU, UK, Canadian and Australian Iran sanctions lists, which can restrict payments and dealings with it, and UK travel advice says non-Iranian bank cards do not work in Iran.
Costs & financial aid
2020-21 (latest published) · figures in EUR
SBU's latest published international fees (for students starting in 2020-21) were EUR 900 per semester for bachelor's degrees in human sciences and EUR 1,000 per semester in natural sciences and engineering, with a stated 10-20% increase each year for later intakes, so current fees are not published; SBU notes the fees are charged in Iranian rials (IRR) although they are quoted in euros. Discounts of up to 15-20% may be granted to applicants from Islamic or neighbouring countries, family members and students of Persian Language and Literature or Iranology. International students cannot get student loans; scholarship students are funded by Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, which also pays accommodation.
- About EUR 1,800 a year for a single student
- SBU estimate of minimum yearly living costs on campus (excluding tuition)
- EUR 900 (human sciences) or EUR 1,000 (natural sciences and engineering) per semester, rising 10-20% a year
- Bachelor's tuition published for 2020-21 starters
- EUR 700 for 4.5 months
- Persian Language Center course (2020-21)
- EUR 70 a month (3-bed room) or EUR 100 (2-bed room); meal plan EUR 200 a month
- Campus housing (2020-21)
- Up to 20%, at the Board of Directors' discretion
- Maximum tuition discount
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (autumn and spring)
Architecture and Urban Planning
One of SBU's two founding faculties (1960), where the university's first master's course began in 1961.
Law
A long-established law faculty whose graduates include former vice president Shahindokht Molaverdi.
Nuclear Engineering
SBU has a dedicated Faculty of Nuclear Engineering, alongside its Laser and Plasma Research Institute.
Computer and electrical engineering
Taught at the Shahid Abbaspour campus, which SBU says plays a prominent role in training computer engineers.
Persian Language and Literature / Iranology
International students in these fields can receive up to a 20% tuition discount.
Research
- Ten research institutes, including the Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, the Laser and Plasma Research Institute and the Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute.
- Research centres including the Iranian Research Center for the Silk Roads and a UNESCO Chair for Human Rights, Peace and Democracy.
- A science and research park at the Zirab campus, about 180 km north-east of Tehran, with wood, pulp and paper laboratories.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences
- Faculty of Economics and Political Science
- Faculty of Management and Accounting
- Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies
- Faculty of Mathematical Sciences
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Chemistry and Petroleum Sciences
- Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering
- Faculty of Nuclear Engineering
- Faculty of New Technologies and Aerospace Engineering
Student life
SBU's central campus in Evin is a large green site on the slopes above Tehran, with faculties, libraries, dormitories and sports facilities. International students follow the same academic rules as Iranian students and can use all leisure and sports facilities. Undergraduate international students are usually housed in furnished triple rooms with a fridge, TV, washing machine and internet; married accommodation is offered only to PhD students. The International Students Office organises events for international students and their academic advisers, such as Nowruz and Yalda gatherings.
- Furnished campus dormitories for international students, typically in triple rooms.
- Full access to university sports and leisure facilities for international students.
- Events for international students and advisers around Nowruz and Yalda night.
- A Persian Language Center on campus for non-Persian speakers.
Housing. International undergraduates are accommodated in furnished triple rooms in university dormitories; married housing is only for PhD students.
Location
Tehran is Iran's capital, a very large city at the foot of the Alborz Mountains. SBU's main campus in Evin, in the city's north, looks over Tehran from the hillside. Practical constraints matter: the UK government currently advises against all travel to Iran, and says non-Iranian debit and cash cards do not work there and cash is hard to obtain, with euros and US dollars the easiest currencies to exchange. Check your own government's advice before applying.
Nearest airport: Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA)
Notable alumni
- MM Mir-Hossein MousaviPrime Minister of Iran (1981-1989); bachelor's and master's in architecture from the National University
- ME Masoumeh EbtekarFormer Vice President of Iran and head of the Department of Environment; BSc in laboratory science
- SM Shahindokht MolaverdiJurist and former Vice President for Women and Family Affairs; bachelor of laws
- EK Elaheh KoulaeiPolitical scientist and former member of parliament; bachelor's in political science (1982)
- LA Leila AraghianArchitect of Tehran's Tabiat Bridge; studied architecture at SBU
- BF Behnaz FarahiDesigner and artist working with interactive and wearable technology; studied architecture at SBU
- KY Kourosh YaghmaeiRock musician; studied at the National University of Iran
- FG Fatima GailaniAfghan politician and former president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society; master's in Persian literature (1978)
Frequently asked questions
Is Shahid Beheshti University the same as Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences?
No. The medical and dental schools separated in 1986 to form Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. SBU does not teach medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or veterinary medicine.
Can international students study at SBU in English?
SBU's requirements call for acceptable Persian skills, shown by a certificate or by completing its Persian course, so plan for Persian-medium study.
How much does SBU cost for international students?
The latest published fees were for 2020-21 starters: EUR 900 to 1,000 per semester for bachelor's degrees, with a stated 10-20% rise each year since. SBU estimates at least EUR 1,800 a year for living costs on campus.
How do I apply to Shahid Beheshti University as an international student?
Apply online on int.sbu.ac.ir with your diploma, transcripts, passport and photo, and register with Iran's Student Affairs Organization to get a tracking code. Admitted students then get a visa through SBU's International Students Office.
Are there sanctions or payment issues to know about?
Yes. SBU is listed as a designated entity under the Iran sanctions regimes of the EU, UK, Canada and Australia, which can restrict payments and other dealings with it, and UK government travel advice says non-Iranian bank cards do not work in Iran. Check your own country's rules before applying.
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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