Sultan Qaboos University
جامعة السلطان قابوس
Oman's national public university, which admits school leavers on a single competitive score.
- Students
- 19,284
- 17,036 undergraduates
- Founded
- 1986
- QS World Ranking
- #306
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Suburban
About SQU
Sultan Qaboos University opened in 1986 as Oman's national university, fulfilling a promise Sultan Qaboos bin Said made on the tenth National Day in 1980. It began with five colleges (Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, Education and Science); Arts followed in 1987, Commerce and Economics in 1993, Law in 2006 and Nursing in 2008. The campus in Al Khoudh, in the Seeb area of Muscat, sits in a valley below the foothills of the Oman Mountains, with arched sandstone buildings laid out along an axis aligned towards Mecca.
In 2025-26 SQU had 19,284 students, 17,036 of them undergraduates, across nine colleges: Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Economics and Political Science, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences, Nursing, and Science. It offers 70 bachelor's programmes and also runs a university hospital, 14 research centres and a Centre for Preparatory Studies that delivers the Foundation Program in English, mathematics and IT.
Admission is mainly for Omani school leavers, who apply through the national Higher Education Admission Centre and are ranked on a competitive score built from their final-year grades. GCC nationals can enter through scholarship routes. SQU suits students from Oman and the Gulf who want the country's most established public university, including its medical and engineering programmes.
اقرأ
“Read” — university motto
Why students choose SQU
SQU is ranked 306th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and is Oman's national university, opened in 1986.
The College of Medicine and Health Sciences offers an MD programme linked to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.
Admission is transparent: the competitive score is 40% the average of all subjects plus 60% the average of the subjects required for the major.
Alumni include Oman's Minister of Health, Minister of Information and a former Minister of Higher Education.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year (entry autumn 2027)
Selectivity
SQU does not publish an acceptance rate. Omani applicants are ranked by a competitive score from their General Education Diploma (or equivalent) results, and SQU publishes the lowest competitive scores admitted to each college each year. It admitted 3,174 new bachelor's students in 2025-26 (4,221 new students across all degree levels).
Typical entry requirements
| Omani General Education Diploma | Apply through HEAC; ranked on the competitive score, with minimum grades in subjects required by each college |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | At least 24 of 45 points; major subjects counted from both HL and SL (IB Certificate holders need 30 points) |
| A-levels | At least two A-levels in subjects required for the major |
| General conditions | Applicants must be 25 or younger, must apply in the year they finish school, and cannot defer the first semester |
| English language | IELTS 5 All students must meet the Foundation Program requirements in English, mathematics and IT. The English requirement can be met with IELTS 5.0 (no band below 4.5), by passing SQU's English exit test, or by completing the Foundation Program English courses. |
Deadlines
- Admissions with fees, children of non-Omani SQU employees (2026-27, past) Non-binding Passed19 August 2026
Timeline 19 July to 19 August 2026, marked as estimated. Shown for reference.
Omani students apply through HEAC, which runs the national application calendar; SQU's HEAC and GCC-scholarship pages say the timeline 'will be announced later'. The only dated window shown is the 2026-27 fee-paying route, listed for reference.
How to apply
Omani students (and GCC students who finished Grade 12 in Oman) apply online through the Higher Education Admission Centre (HEAC), listing SQU programmes in their preferences. Other GCC nationals are admitted through their embassies in Oman under GCC scholarship programmes. A fee-paying route exists for children of SQU's non-Omani employees. Students with international qualifications must later submit final results with an equivalency letter from Oman's Ministry of Education.
What admissions looks for
- A high competitive score from final-year results, weighted 60% towards the subjects required for your chosen college.
- Minimum grades in the specific subjects each college requires, such as sciences and mathematics for medicine and engineering.
- Applicants who apply in the year they finish school and are aged 25 or under.
- Readiness for English-medium study, shown through IELTS or SQU's Foundation Program.
Tips for applying to SQU
- 1 Check the lowest competitive scores SQU publishes for each college in past years to gauge your chances before ranking programmes on HEAC.
- 2 Focus on the subjects required for your major: they count for 60% of your competitive score.
- 3 Bring an IELTS 5.0 (4.5 in every band) if you want to meet the English part of the Foundation Program without taking the courses.
- 4 If you hold IB, A-level or Saudi qualifications, prepare an equivalency letter from Oman's Ministry of Education for your final results.
- 5 You cannot defer your first semester, so apply only for the year you can start.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in OMR
SQU's admissions pages describe GCC Countries Scholarship Programs for Gulf nationals, arranged through their embassies or through HEAC for GCC students who finished Grade 12 in Oman. Tuition amounts for Omani students and fee-paying students are not published on the admissions pages reviewed.
- Places for GCC nationals, through their embassies or through HEAC
- GCC Countries Scholarships Program
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (Fall and Spring)
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
One of SQU's original programmes from 1986; Oman's Minister of Health, cardiac surgeon Hilal Al Sabti, earned his MD and did his residency at SQU.
Engineering
One of the five founding colleges of 1986, with its own detailed admission criteria and minimum subject grades in SQU's guide.
Agricultural and Marine Sciences
A founding college focused on Oman's farming, food and marine resources.
Economics and Political Science
Grew out of the College of Commerce and Economics set up in 1993; the admission guide lists a separate Political Science programme.
Law
Joined the university in 2006 and has its own admission criteria in SQU's guide.
Nursing
Founded in 2008; the college has international accreditation renewed until 2033, according to SQU news.
Research
- SQU reports 14 research centres in its 2025 Statistical Overview.
- Research is funded through internal, strategic, external and joint grants, including an undergraduate student research fund.
- Sultan Qaboos University Hospital supports clinical training for the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, whose MD was among the university's first programmes.
Schools & faculties
- College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences
- College of Arts and Social Sciences
- College of Economics and Political Science
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Law
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences
- College of Nursing
- College of Science
- Centre for Preparatory Studies
SQU graduated 3,295 students in 2025, 2,586 of them with bachelor's degrees.
Student life
SQU's campus is designed with arches, courtyards and white and pink sandstone buildings that echo traditional Omani and Islamic architecture, laid out on a single axis through the valley. Enrolment is split almost evenly between women and men. New students start with the Foundation Program at the Centre for Preparatory Studies, which also runs support services such as career guidance, student counselling and an Independent Learning Centre.
- Campus architecture of sandstone arches and courtyards on an axis aligned towards Mecca
- Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, part of the university
- Centre for Career Guidance, Student Counselling Centre and Independent Learning Centre
- Botanic garden and the Omani Studies Centre on campus
Location
SQU is in Al Khoudh in the Seeb area of Muscat, Oman's capital, set in a valley near the foothills of the Oman Mountains. Muscat stretches along the coast of the Gulf of Oman, and Muscat International Airport also lies in Seeb, so the campus is convenient for students travelling from elsewhere in Oman and the Gulf.
Nearest airport: Muscat International Airport (MCT)
Notable alumni
- HB Hilal bin Ali Al SabtiCardiac surgeon and Oman's Minister of Health since 2022; MD and residency at SQU
- AN Abdullah Nasser bin Khalifa al-HarrasiOman's Minister of Information since 2020; bachelor's and master's from the College of Arts
- RB Rahma bint Ibrahim Al MahrouqiFormer Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation; bachelor's and master's in education
- BA Badriyya al-ShihhiNovelist whose 1999 novel was hailed as marking the birth of the Omani novel; studied chemical engineering and earned a PhD at SQU
- RA Rumaitha Al BusaidiClimate change activist and radio personality, described as the youngest Omani woman to cross the South Pole; master's from SQU (2014)
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply to Sultan Qaboos University?
Omani students apply through the Higher Education Admission Centre (HEAC). GCC nationals are admitted through their embassies or through HEAC if they finished Grade 12 in Oman.
How is the SQU competitive score calculated?
It is 40% the average of all your subjects plus 60% the average of the subjects required for your chosen major.
What IB score do you need for Sultan Qaboos University?
At least 24 of 45 points for the IB Diploma (30 for the IB Certificate); major subjects are counted from both HL and SL, and you still compete on the competitive score.
What IELTS score does SQU require?
IELTS 5.0 with no band below 4.5 meets the English requirement of the Foundation Program; otherwise you take SQU's English exit test or the Foundation English courses.
How many students attend Sultan Qaboos University?
19,284 in 2025-26, including 17,036 undergraduates, across nine colleges.
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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