Exploring Saudi Arabia's University Student Population

Saudi Arabia has one of the fastest-growing higher education systems in the Middle East, with a large number of world-class institutions. The country's higher education system has seen significant expansion in recent years, with the establishment of new universities and the construction of more campuses. As a result, the number of international students enrolling in degree programs in the country has increased fourfold between 2008 and 2017, from 18,725 to 74,000. This growth has been fuelled by the country's economic development, fuelled by its vast fuel resources, and the resulting modernisation of its education system.

Number of international students

Saudi Arabia is among the top 10 countries in the world for sending its students to pursue international degrees. In 2017, 5% of all Saudi tertiary students were studying abroad—a high ratio by global standards. This is largely due to the Saudi government's extensive funding of scholarship programs for its students.

The King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) is one of the largest scholarship programs ever initiated by a government. It allowed more than 20,000 Saudi citizens to earn degrees in over 30 countries during its first decade. The program was scaled back in 2016 due to budget constraints, but it still provides funding for recipients' monthly living expenses, tuition fees, and other study-related expenses, including annual round-trip airfare for students and their spouses. The program now focuses on sending students to universities ranked among the top 200 in international rankings or to programs ranked in the top 50 in their field.

The impact of KASP was profound. The number of Saudi international students grew from around 10,000 to 12,000 in the late 1990s and early to mid-2000s to 52,000 by 2011, eventually peaking at 90,245 students in 2016.

The majority of Saudi international students are enrolled in the United States, Saudi Arabia's main military ally. This influx of students has made Saudi Arabia the fourth-largest sender of international students to the U.S. since 2011/12. The KASP scholarship program was initiated by the U.S. and Saudi governments to strengthen bilateral relations following the 9/11 terror attacks, which were perpetrated mostly by Saudi nationals.

Other top destination countries for Saudi students are the United Kingdom, which hosted 7,891 Saudi students in 2017, and Australia, which enrolled 3,808 Saudi international students in 2017. Enrollment trends in these countries follow the same pattern as in the U.S.: a sharp increase induced by the KASP, followed by a decline after the scholarship program was scaled back.

Saudi Arabia is also an increasingly popular destination for international students. Between 2008 and 2017, the number of international students enrolled in degree programs in Saudi Arabia quadrupled from 18,725 to 74,000. It is important to note that Saudi Arabia counts permanent resident non-citizens studying in the country as international students, so the international student body includes the children of guest workers and is not solely made up of students who deliberately chose Saudi Arabia as their destination of choice.

Most international students in Saudi Arabia are from other Arab countries, such as war-torn Yemen and Syria (13% and 12%, respectively), as well as Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine. Pakistan and India are also large and growing source countries, driven partly by the fact that these nations are major sources of labor migration to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has become an important study destination for students from Africa, particularly Nigeria, which has tripled its number of students in the past eight years, making it the fifth-largest sender of international students to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia offers international students a variety of English-taught programs and universities of high quality. Additionally, the country provides extremely generous scholarship programs for international students. For example, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology supports qualified master's and doctoral students with full tuition support, free housing, medical care, and a living allowance of USD $20,000 to USD $30,000 annually.

Number of female students

Women's education in Saudi Arabia has seen tremendous development in recent years, with female students now comprising over 51% of university enrolments. This marks a significant shift from the historical view of women's education in the country, which was traditionally seen as a means to guide women on how to become ideal wives, mothers, and housewives.

The Saudi government has played an active role in promoting women's education, launching initiatives such as the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) in 2005, which has benefited over half of female students. This program offers full scholarships for women, including monthly stipends, tuition coverage, private tutoring, and support for a male family member to accompany them if needed. As a result, tens of thousands of Saudi women have graduated from top universities worldwide.

Despite these advancements, challenges and setbacks remain. Until 2002, women's education was controlled by the Department of Religious Guidance, which ensured that women were educated according to traditional Islamic principles and encouraged them to take on 'gender-appropriate' roles. It was only after a tragic fire in a girls' school in Mecca, where religious police prevented firefighters from rescuing students due to modesty concerns, that the departments for men's and women's education were combined under the Ministry of Education.

Today, there are 36 universities in Saudi Arabia that allow women to enrol, with several being women-only institutions. These include Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, the largest women's university in the world, and Effat University, founded by King Faisal's wife, Queen Effat, who also established the first school for girls in the country.

The progress in women's education is evident in the increasing literacy rates among Saudi women, rising from 57.28% in 1992 to 99.3% in 2017. This has empowered women to pursue higher education, with enrolments increasing from 272,054 in 1974-1975 to over 2 million in 2004-2005.

Number of universities

Saudi Arabia has 52 universities with 718 study programs. These include 321 Bachelor's programs, 321 Master's programs, and 76 PhD programs. The number of universities in Saudi Arabia has grown tremendously in recent years. There are now 29 public universities and 11 private universities in the Kingdom, along with hundreds of community colleges and women's colleges, and a rapidly growing number of technical and vocational training schools.

The country's higher education system is one of the most advanced in the Middle East, and the government has been investing heavily in research and the establishment of new and more specialized universities. This is part of a drive to modernize the education system and upskill the population, which are seen as vital for the country's economic transformation.

Some of the top-rated universities in Saudi Arabia include:

• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
• King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)
• Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU)
• Al Faisal University
• Islamic University of Madinah
• Almaarefa Colleges for Science & Technology (MCST)
• Institute of Public Administration
• King AbdulAziz University (KAU)
• Arab Open University, Saudi Arabia
• Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies
• Jubail Industrial College
• Jubail University College
• Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University
• Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
• King Khalid University (KKU)
• King Saud University
• Umm Al Qura University
• University of Hafr Al Batin
• Yanbu Industrial College
• Al Yamamah University (YU)

Number of public vs private universities

Saudi Arabia has one of the fastest-growing higher education systems in the Middle East, with a number of world-class institutions. The country's universities offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, with durations of four, two, and three to four years, respectively.

While the exact number of public and private universities in Saudi Arabia is unclear, a list of universities and colleges in the country includes a mix of both public and private institutions. Here is a breakdown of the number of public versus private universities in Saudi Arabia, based on the provided list:

Public Universities:

• King Saud University
• Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University
• Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University
• King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences
• King Abdulaziz University
• Umm Al-Qura University
• Jeddah College of Technology
• Dar Al-Hekma College
• Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences
• Prince Sultan Aviation Academy
• Taif College of Technology
• Arab Open University
• Jeddah Teacher's College
• College of Telecom & Electronics
• Jeddah International College
• Jeddah College of Health Care
• University of Jeddah
• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
• Islamic University of Medina
• Yanbu Industrial College
• Al-Madinah College of Technology
• Yanbu University College
• Madinah Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship (MILE)
• Prince Mugrin University
• Dammam College of Technology
• Dammam Community College
• Al Ahsa College of Technology
• Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
• King Faisal University
• Jubail Industrial College
• University College of Jubail
• Qatif College of Technology
• University of Hafr al Batin
• Arab Open University
• Prince Mohammad University
• Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University
• King Khalid University
• College of Food and Environment Technology in Buraydah
• Sulaiman Al Rajhi University
• Northern Borders University
• Fahd bin Sultan University
• Institute of Public Administration

Private Universities:

• Prince Sultan University
• College of Telecom & Information
• Riyadh College of Dentistry and Pharmacy
• Al Yamamah University
• AlMaarefa University
• Al Farabi College of Dentistry and Nursing
• Technical Trainers College
• Saudi Electronic University
• Batterjee Medical College
• Prince Sultan College For Tourism and Business
• Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies
• Mohammed Almana College of Medical Sciences
• University of Business and Technology
• King Abdullah Economic City
• Prince Mohammad bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship
• Riyadh Elm University
• Inaya Medical Colleges
• Mustaqbal University
• Northern College of Nursing
• University of Hafr Al Batin

It is worth noting that the list may not be exhaustive, and there may be other universities or colleges in Saudi Arabia that are not included. Additionally, the classification of public and private institutions may be subject to change, and some universities may have multiple campuses or branches that are managed differently.

Number of international students in the US

Saudi Arabia has one of the fastest-growing higher education systems in the Middle East, with a number of world-class institutions. King Abdulaziz University, for example, has more than 82,000 students, while King Fahd University, the nation's top institution, enrols more than 7,000 students.

In the US, the number of international students is also impressive. During the 2023-24 academic year, 1.1 million foreign students were enrolled in US higher education institutions, a 6.6% increase on the previous year. This number dropped to 1,057,188 in the 2022-23 academic year, according to Statistica. The top three universities with the highest number of international students in the US are:

• New York University (NYU)
• Northeastern University, Boston
• Columbia University

International students make up over 31% of NYU's student population, with campuses in New York City, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, and 12 study sites worldwide. Northeastern University, on the other hand, has 14% international students, with its first international campus in Toronto. Columbia University has 18% international students and is involved in global initiatives like the Columbia University Partnership for International Development (CUPID).

California remains the top destination for international students in the US, with institutions such as the University of Southern California, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles, attracting students from around the world.

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