University of Haifa
אוניברסיטת חיפה
Northern Israel's largest research university, on Mount Carmel, with what it calls Israel's most pluralistic student body.
- Students
- 18,000
- Tuition
- ₪15,254
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1963
- QS World Ranking
- 801-850
- 2027 edition
About UHaifa
The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and received full accreditation as an independent university in 1971. It sits on the summit of Mount Carmel in a campus designed by Oscar Niemeyer, whose 30-storey Eshkol Tower is visible across northern Israel. More than 18,000 students study across three campuses, seven faculties and three schools, 29 departments and 53 research centres and institutes.
Haifa describes itself as the most pluralistic institution of higher education in Israel: Jews and Arabs, Druze, Haredi and secular students, new immigrants and security personnel study side by side. It is strong in the social sciences, humanities, law and education, and has built research reputations in marine sciences, neuroscience, evolution, epigenetics, security studies and Holocaust research. The campus also hosts the Hecht Museum of archaeology and IBM's Haifa research lab.
Bachelor's degrees are taught in Hebrew and admission works through the national system of matriculation (Bagrut) grades and the psychometric entrance test, with SAT or ACT accepted as an alternative. International students mostly come for the 19 English-taught master's programmes and study-abroad semesters run by UHaifa International.
Why students choose UHaifa
Tuition is set nationally and is modest: the basic bachelor's fee for 2026-27 is NIS 12,203 a year (25% more for foreign residents).
Few Israeli campuses are as mixed: Jewish, Arab, Druze, religious and secular students share classes, dorms and student life.
The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences and the Morris Kahn marine research station give Haifa one of Israel's main bases for ocean research.
SAT or ACT scores can replace the psychometric exam, and several programmes offer routes in without it, such as the Ofek pathway or the university's own preparatory programme.
Admissions
2026-27 academic year (starting October 2026); 2027-28 dates not yet published
Selectivity
The university publishes no overall acceptance rate. Each department sets its own threshold on a combined score of Bagrut average and psychometric (or SAT/ACT) result; programmes such as law, psychology, medicine, architecture and design add entrance exams, interviews or portfolios.
Typical entry requirements
| Israeli Bagrut (matriculation) certificate | Required, combined with a psychometric or SAT/ACT score into a department-specific admissions score |
|---|---|
| Recognised foreign secondary qualification | Accepted as a Bagrut equivalent (documents reviewed by the admissions office), plus SAT/ACT or psychometric score and Hebrew proficiency |
| University of Haifa preparatory programme (mechina) | Allows admission without Bagrut or psychometric, subject to the programme's grade average and departmental requirements |
| English language | All students take an English placement (psychometric, Amirnet, SAT, TOEFL or IELTS); the minimum for bachelor's admission is the pre-basic level, and some departments require higher. Bachelor's teaching is in Hebrew, so non-native speakers must also meet the Hebrew requirement. |
Deadlines
- Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine (2026-27) Non-binding Passed15 May 2026
Documents due the same day; last valid psychometric sitting April 2026.
- Law (2026-27) Non-binding Passed10 August 2026
Faculty entrance exams on 27 March, 29 June and 24 August 2026.
- Psychology (2026-27) Non-binding Passed15 September 2026
Last valid psychometric sitting July 2026.
- Economics (2026-27) Non-binding Passed4 October 2026
Documents due 6 October 2026.
Dates are for the 2026-27 year (Tashpaz), which starts in October 2026; each department has its own closing date. Dates for 2027-28 entry will be published on the admissions site; based on 2026, medicine closes in mid-May and most programmes between July and early October.
How to apply
Register online with the University of Haifa admissions department, list your preferred programmes, submit Bagrut or equivalent documents and have psychometric or SAT/ACT scores sent (SAT code 7012, ACT code 5289), and register for any departmental entrance exams at least 24 hours after enrolling. International master's and study-abroad applicants apply separately through UHaifa International.
What admissions looks for
- A strong combined score from Bagrut grades and the psychometric test (or SAT/ACT), with each department setting its own threshold.
- Sufficient English, shown through the placement exam, and Hebrew good enough for Hebrew-language teaching.
- For selective programmes such as law, psychology, architecture, design and medicine, success in departmental exams, interviews, portfolios or personality tests.
- For the economics degree, a departmental maths entrance exam at junior-high level is available as an additional route.
Tips for applying to UHaifa
- 1 Use the university's admission-chances calculator to see how your Bagrut average and test scores compare with each programme's threshold.
- 2 If you took the SAT, send the official scores directly (code 7012); your best single sitting counts, and if you also took the psychometric, the higher result is used.
- 3 Check each department's own deadline: for 2026-27 they ran from mid-May (medicine) to late September and early October (data science 30 September, economics 4 October).
- 4 If you lack a psychometric score, look at the Ofek route, the university preparatory programme or departmental entrance exams.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in ILS
Tuition is set nationally and payable in instalments; the university runs scholarship and financial-aid schemes and an academic excellence unit through the Dean of Students. Foreign residents and students funded by a third party pay 25% more than the basic fee.
- NIS 12,203 / NIS 16,490
- Basic tuition 2026-27 (bachelor's / advanced degrees)
- US$370-515 a month depending on room type
- On-campus dorms (UHaifa International rates)
- NIS 1,649 to 4,947 per course
- English courses, if placed below exemption
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (academic year starts in October)
Psychology (BA)
A popular department with its own September deadline; the clinical and developmental research tracks at master's level close as early as March.
Law (LLB)
A competitive programme with faculty entrance exams held three times a year (March, June and August in 2026).
Marine sciences (Geography and Environmental Studies - Marine Sciences track)
Linked to the Charney School of Marine Sciences and its field stations at Tel Shikmona and Sdot Yam.
Economics (BA), including data science and accounting tracks
Offers a departmental maths entrance exam as an alternative route in and tracks from innovation to sustainability.
Medicine (Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine)
Taught at the Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine, with a mid-May deadline and personality tests and interviews.
Archaeology
Home to the Zinman Institute of Archaeology and the Hecht Museum on campus, with recent research on the Natufians of the Carmel.
Research
- The Institute of Evolution, the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center and the Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center are among 53 research centres and institutes.
- Marine research is run from the Mount Carmel campus, Tel Shikmona and the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station at Sdot Yam.
- In 2026 Haifa researchers published findings that the Natufians of the Carmel region used a sophisticated harvesting technique for wild cereals as early as 15,000 years ago.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Education
- Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences
- Graduate School of Management
- N. Bloomfield-WIZO School of Design
Student life
Life centres on the Mount Carmel campus, surrounded by a nature reserve with views over Haifa Bay and the Galilee. On-campus dorms house about 1,000 Israeli and international students in single-sex shared apartments, with a grocery store, laundries and a Student Club that hosts parties, workshops and lectures. The student body is unusually mixed, with Jewish and Arab students studying together in Hebrew, and the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Library, the Hecht Museum and the top floor of the Eshkol Tower are campus landmarks. Some programmes, such as design, are taught at other campuses in the city.
- Campus designed by Oscar Niemeyer, with the 30-storey Eshkol Tower at its centre.
- About 1,000 students live in the on-campus dorms.
- The Hecht Museum of archaeology and art is on campus.
- UHaifa International brings students from 90 countries.
Housing. On-campus dorms (Federman and Talia) offer single-sex shared apartments; UHaifa International quotes US$370-515 a month depending on room type.
Location
Haifa is Israel's main northern city and a Mediterranean port about 90 km north of Tel Aviv, with a mixed Jewish and Arab population and a large high-tech sector that includes Intel, Microsoft, Google and IBM. The university sits at the top of Mount Carmel, above the city and Haifa Bay.
Nearest airport: Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv (TLV)
Notable alumni
- BG Benny GantzFormer IDF Chief of Staff and Israeli politician; master's in political science
- MA Mansour AbbasLeader of the United Arab List (Ra'am); studied for a master's in political science
- MK Moshe KahlonFormer Israeli Minister of Finance; BA in political science and general studies
- IO Idan OferShipping and industrial businessman; BSc in economics and shipping
- LB Lucian BebchukHarvard Law School professor of law, economics and finance; BA in mathematics and economics (1977)
- OB Orna BerryComputer scientist and former Chief Scientist of Israel; BA in statistics and mathematics (1975)
- RB Ronen BergmanInvestigative journalist and author on Israeli intelligence; law graduate
- MH Maha HajPalestinian-Israeli film director and screenwriter; MA in language and literature
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Haifa teach bachelor's degrees in English?
No. Bachelor's degrees are taught in Hebrew and non-native speakers must meet the Hebrew requirement. English-taught options are the international master's programmes and study-abroad semesters run by UHaifa International.
Can I use the SAT instead of the psychometric test at Haifa?
Yes. The University of Haifa accepts SAT or ACT scores in place of the psychometric exam; your best single sitting is converted, and if you also sat the psychometric, the higher score counts.
How much is tuition at the University of Haifa?
For 2026-27, basic bachelor's tuition is NIS 12,203 a year plus NIS 1,190 in compulsory fees. Foreign residents pay 25% more, about NIS 15,254.
When is the application deadline?
It depends on the programme. For 2026-27 entry, medicine closed on 15 May 2026, law on 10 August, psychology on 15 September and economics on 4 October 2026.
Does the University of Haifa have dorms?
Yes. On-campus dorms house about 1,000 students in shared apartments; UHaifa International lists rates of US$370-515 a month.
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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