Scholarship Universities for Saudi Students: 2026 Guide to Approved Institutions

Choosing a university for a Saudi scholarship is not simply a matter of finding an institution with a high global ranking. The university must be officially approved by the organization funding your particular scholarship. Before applying or accepting an offer, make sure your university is eligible under the specific program you intend to join.

This guide explains how to verify scholarship university approval, why lists differ between programs, what global university rankings do—and do not—tell you, and how to avoid mistakes that could affect your scholarship application.

What Are the Approved Universities for Saudi Overseas Scholarships?

Approved overseas scholarship universities are institutions formally included by a scholarship sponsor among the universities eligible for funding under its program.

There is no single university list covering every Saudi scholarship. Each program has its own eligibility criteria and approved institutions, which may vary by:

• Country
• Field of study
• Degree level (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate)
• Application year

Receiving admission from a university does not automatically mean that it qualifies under your scholarship program.

Read more about the latest Saudi overseas scholarship requirements in our related guide.

Examples of Universities Appearing in Different Saudi Scholarship Programs

The universities below illustrate the range of institutions that may appear on the approved lists of different scholarship programs. They are not a universal approved list. Eligibility depends on the program or track, subject, degree level, and year of application.

Universities in the United Kingdom

Saudi scholarship programs may include a variety of UK universities, including:

Highly Ranked UK Universities

• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Imperial College London

Specialist and Established UK Universities

• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), particularly in the social sciences and economics
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Manchester

Other UK University Examples

Other universities may appear on particular track and subject lists, such as:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Leeds
• University of Glasgow

For details, consult the relevant official scholarship list for UK universities before applying.

Universities in the United States

Scholarship tracks may include a wide range of US universities.

Highly Ranked US Universities

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Stanford University
• Harvard University

Leading Public Research Universities

• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Michigan
• University of Texas at Austin

Specialist US Universities

• California Institute of Technology (Caltech), known for engineering and science
• Johns Hopkins University, particularly for medicine and public health

Other Strong Universities, Especially in Engineering and Technology

• University of Washington
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Check university and subject eligibility against the appropriate Saudi scholarship track, rather than relying on reputation alone.

Universities in Canada

Canada is home to several well-regarded universities that may feature on scholarship lists, including:

• University of Toronto
• University of British Columbia
• McGill University

Universities in Australia

Australian institutions that may appear on certain scholarship lists include:

• University of Melbourne
• Australian National University
• University of Sydney

Universities in Germany

Germany has prominent universities in engineering and technology, including:

• Technical University of Munich
• RWTH Aachen University
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

None of these examples automatically qualifies for your scholarship. Always verify the list that applies to your circumstances.

How to Find the Official List of Scholarship Universities

First identify the exact scholarship program you are applying to. Is it one of the tracks under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, the Excellence Track, or an independent employer-funded program such as Saudi Aramco? Each has its own authoritative source.

1. Universities Under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program

There is no single list that applies to every applicant under this program. Start by identifying your eligible track:

• Pioneers Track (Al Rowad): For bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with a program list covering leading institutions, described in the source guide as the top 30.
• Supply Track (Emdad): For bachelor’s and master’s degrees in specified high-demand disciplines, with a program list described as covering up to 200 institutions.
• Research and Development Track: For doctoral study in priority disciplines, using its own institution and subject lists.
• Wa’ed Track: Opportunities are announced with their own employers, eligible institutions, and conditions.

The Saudi Ministry of Education has published guidance on institution lists by subject for the 2026–2027 academic year for the Pioneers, Emdad, and Research and Development tracks. Check the track, university, subject, and degree level together before applying.

The official Safir Universities search service helps you check university recognition or recommendations by country, institution, subject, and qualification. However, appearing in this database is not, by itself, proof of scholarship eligibility under a specific track.

What is the difference between a track list, Safir Universities, and the application platform?

• Track university list: Identifies institutions and programs eligible under that particular scholarship track.
• Safir Universities: An official information service for checking the status of universities and academic programs.
• Qabool application platform: The channel described by the source article for new applications to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, while Safir continues to handle earlier applications and certain exceptions.

Do not use a university’s appearance in Safir alone as evidence of eligibility. Check the track list and the applicable year’s conditions as well.

2. Universities Under the Excellence Scholarship Track

The Excellence Track has university lists published by the Ministry of Education, including general lists and separate lists for certain disciplines. Consult the list issued for the application period and do not automatically apply the Pioneers, Emdad, or Research and Development criteria to this track.

The Ministry of Education’s scholarship application service includes the Excellence Track among its supported routes, while the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program strategy identifies four core tracks: Pioneers, Emdad, Research and Development, and Wa’ed.

3. Universities Under the Elite Scholarship Program

According to the program conditions described in the Arabic source, the Elite Scholarship Program requires a final, unconditional offer from a university on its list of 20 institutions. The institution must also be recognized for the intended degree and subject.

Do not confuse the Elite Program’s university list with a broader list of the world’s top 100 universities. Always refer to the Ministry of Education’s program-specific criteria.

4. Universities Under the Saudi Aramco Scholarship Program

Saudi Aramco selects institutions and disciplines according to its workforce needs and the requirements of its scholarship program, rather than relying on the Ministry of Education’s general university lists.

Under the Saudi Aramco College Degree Program described in the source, selected secondary-school graduates first complete a university-preparation program in Dhahran. Eligible students then proceed to university studies abroad in disciplines required by the company, subject to the program and university-admission rules.

For current eligibility, use Saudi Aramco’s official program announcement for the year in which you apply. SABIC also operates separate scholarship opportunities with their own requirements.

5. Universities Under the Cultural Scholarship Program

The Cultural Scholarship Program is a separate initiative supervised by the Saudi Ministry of Culture. It supports a range of cultural and creative disciplines, and the Ministry determines the eligible institutions, application criteria, and funding arrangements.

Check the participating institutions listed in the current official announcement. A university’s appearance in a Ministry of Education list or a global ranking does not automatically make it eligible for the Cultural Scholarship Program.

Other sponsorship options, such as employer-specific and healthcare programs, may operate under different rules.

Practical Tips for Finding Approved Scholarship Universities

1. Do Not Rely on Forums or Unofficial Lists

Advice from friends, social media, and forums can become outdated quickly. University lists change, so verify each important requirement against an official source yourself.

2. Check University Eligibility Early

Confirm approval before investing time and money in admission applications, examinations, or other arrangements.

3. Contact the Scholarship Sponsor if Eligibility Is Unclear

If your university does not appear on the relevant list, do not assume it is a technical error. Contact the sponsoring organization through its official channels and request written clarification.

How Approved Universities Differ by Scholarship Program and Track

Each scholarship program in Saudi Arabia uses its own university lists based on its objectives and eligibility rules. Understanding these differences helps you avoid applying to a university that is eligible under another program but not yours.

The following table summarizes the distinctions described in the Arabic article:

Approval under one program does not establish eligibility under another. Always verify your specific program independently.

• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program: Covers a wide range of academic fields and destinations, with eligibility depending on the individual track.
• Excellence Track: Uses defined institutional criteria and may have a narrower list focused on highly ranked universities. A university accepted under a broader route might not qualify for Excellence.
• Cultural Scholarship Program: Uses its own lists, potentially including specialist arts institutions that are not featured in other programs.
• Private-sector scholarships: Companies such as Aramco and SABIC choose institutions based on their professional and technical requirements.
• Elite Scholarship Program: Uses a specific university list and its own admission and eligibility requirements.

What IELTS Score Do Scholarship Universities Require?

There is no single IELTS requirement for all scholarship universities or funding programs. Check both the university admission requirement and the scholarship program requirement, then meet whichever applicable threshold is higher.

The Arabic source notes specific requirements in some circumstances under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, such as IELTS 5.5 for certain undergraduate preparatory-year cases, IELTS 4.5 for some applicants to China, and German-language proficiency at A2 for applications to Germany. Wa’ed opportunities may have different language requirements.

Do not treat IELTS 6.5 or 7.0 as an official universal ‘safe score’ for scholarships, and do not assume that every bachelor’s or master’s applicant faces the same threshold. Requirements depend on your university, track, degree, and application cycle.

Important: The sponsor’s minimum may differ from the university’s minimum. A scholarship track might accept an application at one language level while the institution requires a higher score for final admission.

The source article also refers to general starting points of IELTS 5.0 for some undergraduate circumstances and 5.5 for some master’s circumstances, but these should never replace checking your exact route’s official rules.

The practical approach is to aim for the higher of the two applicable requirements. Check for minimum component scores in listening, reading, writing, and speaking as well.

How to Prepare for Your University’s IELTS Requirement

After selecting your university and scholarship track, record the required overall IELTS band score and any individual-skill minimums. Use a free IELTS mock test to assess your starting point, then focus your practice on the skills holding you back.

It may be sensible to set a practice target slightly above the admission minimum if it fits your current level and test date, but no practice score guarantees admission. Universities and scholarship sponsors may have additional conditions unrelated to IELTS.

You can create a free GoIELTS account and start preparing well before your scholarship application.

Practical tip: If a university requires IELTS 6.5, you may choose to target 7.0 in practice to give yourself a margin. That is a preparation strategy, not a guarantee of your official test result.

Are All Globally Ranked Universities Approved for Saudi Scholarships?

No. This is one of the most common misunderstandings among scholarship applicants.

Appearance in a global ranking such as QS, Times Higher Education, or ShanghaiRanking does not guarantee eligibility under your scholarship program.

Funding organizations may consider several factors, including:

• Official recognition of the institution in its home country
• Quality of the academic program
• Bilateral agreements between Saudi Arabia and the host country or institution
• Saudi labor-market priorities
• Requirements of the particular scholarship track

A university may be in the world’s top 200 yet absent from the approved list for a Saudi scholarship. Conversely, a program may approve a university with a lower overall ranking because of its expertise in a particular field.

Illustrative Example

Universities such as the following may appear on different scholarship lists in particular years:

• University of Oxford
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• University of Toronto
• Harvard University

The decisive source is the sponsor’s eligibility criteria and the relevant program or track list for the year of application. A high QS, THE, or Shanghai ranking does not by itself establish that an institution is eligible.

Use rankings to compare academic options, but use official scholarship lists to decide eligibility.

When Are the Approved University Lists Updated?

There is no single annual update date for every Saudi scholarship program. As the source article notes, the Ministry of Education published guidance for the 2026–2027 academic year covering the Pioneers, Emdad, and Research and Development tracks. Wa’ed opportunities, company-sponsored awards, and independent scholarship programs can change with individual announcements.

In practice, check the official list at least twice: when choosing a university and again immediately before submitting your scholarship application. Do not rely on an old PDF or saved screenshot when a newer official list is available.

Conclusion

Understanding how Saudi scholarship programs approve universities is essential to planning your studies. The key lesson is simple: there is no single approved university list for all Saudi scholarships. Each funding program has its own criteria and official guidance.

Global university rankings are not the same as scholarship eligibility. Approval is an administrative decision made by the funding sponsor using its own criteria, not a direct reflection of academic reputation.

Avoid the most common mistake: applying to universities before checking whether they are approved under your particular program. First select your scholarship, then confirm the eligible universities and fields, and only then begin your university applications.

Before applying, note the date on which you checked the official list and keep a link to the relevant requirements. If the sponsor updates the rules, use the latest published version.