# Saudi high school pathways and university majors: which doors each track opens

> **The short answer**: Saudi high school pathways number five: general, computer science and engineering, health and life, business administration and sharia. University majors are not decided by the track alone, because each college lists the tracks it accepts. King Saud University's College of Applied Engineering, for example, takes general, computer science, engineering and health and life graduates.

**Key takeaways**

- The system runs nine terms over three years: a common first year, then two years in a track.
- Every college publishes the tracks it accepts, so read the notice for your major, not forum lists.
- The general track is accepted by many science colleges, and you can switch tracks through bridging.
- At King Saud University your preparatory-year GPA counts toward your university GPA.

![Saudi high school pathways and university majors: which doors each track opens](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/high-school-tracks-and-majors/high-school-tracks-and-majors-cover-en.webp)

## What are the high school tracks in Saudi Arabia?

The Ministry of Education lists five: the general track, computer science and engineering, health and life, business administration, and the sharia track[^1]. The system runs nine terms over three years. Year one is common to everyone, with a mix of science and humanities. Then you are placed in a specialised track for two years, based on your interests, your abilities and measures the ministry sets[^1].

Two details students often miss. First, you can move between tracks through a process the ministry calls bridging[^1], so your choice at sixteen is not final. Second, not every school offers every specialised track. Ask your school what is open to your year before you plan around a track it does not run.

## Which track leads to which major?

| Track | Closest university fields | Ask the college |
|---|---|---|
| General | a wide spread of science, business and humanities majors, where the college accepts it | is the general track enough, or does the program want a specialised one |
| Computer science and engineering | engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics | any minimum in mathematics or a named subject |
| Health and life | medicine, pharmacy, nursing, applied medical sciences, biology | the English test and the health college's own rules |
| Business administration | business, accounting, finance, economics | whether science colleges accept this track at all |
| Sharia | sharia, theology, Islamic studies | which other tracks the program accepts |

![Comparison card of the guide table](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/high-school-tracks-and-majors/high-school-tracks-and-majors-inline-2-en.webp)


Treat the table as a rough map. The rule that counts sits in each college's notice. Here is a published one: King Saud University's College of Applied Engineering accepts the general, computer science, engineering and health and life tracks, or their equivalent[^2]. Business and sharia are not on that list. That single line is what you are looking for on every college page you care about.

## Health track or general track: which should you pick?

Pick health and life if you are sure you want a health college and you like biology and chemistry enough for two more years of them. The health preparatory year will feel lighter, because you have already covered its base.

Pick general if you are torn between fields that sit far apart, say medicine and business. It is accepted by many science colleges, as the King Saud example shows[^2]. Still, check the specific health college you want by name, since some programs set narrower rules. To weigh health against engineering, read our [health or engineering track guide](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/health-vs-engineering-track/).

## How is the weighted percentage calculated?

Your track does not change the formula. The university does. Your high school grade goes in alongside the aptitude and achievement tests, and each university sets the weights. Umm Al-Qura uses 40% high school, 30% aptitude and 30% achievement for its scientific and administrative majors[^4]. King Saud's College of Applied Engineering uses 30% high school, 30% aptitude and 40% achievement[^2].

Notice what that means. A student with a strong school grade and an average achievement score gains more at Umm Al-Qura than at King Saud's applied engineering college. It is also why the track matters: the achievement test covers secondary school subjects, and a track that keeps you close to them keeps you closer to a high score. More in our [Tahsili guide](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/tahsili-test-guide/).

## How to choose a major in high school, step by step

1. **Start from the major**: Write down two majors and one honest reason for each. Do not start from the track.
2. **Open two admission pages**: Find the line that says "High School Tracks" or "المسارات المقبولة" and copy it word for word.
3. **Read the study plan**: If year one is mathematics and physics, computer science and engineering is the closer track. If it is biology and chemistry, health and life is.
4. **Ask your school**: Is the track you need open to your year, and how does bridging work if you need to move later?
5. **Run the weighted score**: Apply your target university's weights to your expected marks and compare the result with cut-offs published in past years.
6. **Decide and write down why**: One sentence is enough. You will come back to it in your final year when someone tells you that you chose wrong.

![5-step flow: Start from the major / Open two admission pages / Read the study plan / Ask your school / Run the weighted score](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/high-school-tracks-and-majors/high-school-tracks-and-majors-inline-1-en.webp)


## Does the preparatory year count in your GPA?

At King Saud University, yes. Your preparatory-year GPA is counted in your university GPA[^3]. Moving from one preparatory track to another means applying after the term ends and taking the new track's courses, which delays your graduation[^3]. The preparatory year has its own tracks there, and the subjects in each differ from one university to the next, so read your own university's plan. Our [preparatory year guide](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/preparatory-year-guide/) covers it in detail.

## Common mistakes

- Choosing a track because your friends did.
- Assuming the general track shuts science colleges, when many accept it.
- Trusting a shared list of tracks and majors without opening the college's own notice.
- Leaving Tahsili preparation for the final year, though it can carry 40% of the weighted score[^2].
- Treating the preparatory year as a trial year that does not count.

Match your track to a major:

```
Help me compare my secondary track with the majors I am considering. My track: [track name]. Majors: [two majors]. For each major, make a table with: the core first-year subjects, the question I should ask the college about accepted tracks, and the subject where I need extra preparation. Do not state admission rules yourself; tell me to confirm them on the university website.
```

> **tiswa's take**: Tiswa's take: a student torn between two fields gains more than they lose from the general track, because most science colleges accept it. A student who knows they want a health college saves real effort in the preparatory year by taking health and life. Either way, three minutes reading a college's notice beats a year of advice from people who have not read it.

If the major itself is still open, start with our [guide to choosing a major](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/how-to-choose-a-major/), then read about the field you lean towards, such as [computer science](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/major-computer-science/), [medicine](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/major-medicine/) or [nursing](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/major-nursing/).

Once you start university, your university email unlocks student discounts on software, devices and subscriptions. Tiswa collects them in one place, from [study tools](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/study/) to [engineering student deals](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/majors/engineering/). [Join Tiswa free](https://tiswa.app/en/join/)

To see which majors the Saudi job market is asking for, read [the best majors in Saudi Arabia](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/best-majors-saudi/).

## Questions

### What are the high school pathways in Saudi Arabia?

Five: general, computer science and engineering, health and life, business administration and sharia. Year one is common, then you spend two years in a track[^1].

### Does my high school track decide my university major?

Not on its own. Each college publishes the tracks it accepts, and your weighted score decides the competition after that[^2].

### Can I switch tracks in high school?

Yes, through the bridging process the Ministry of Education describes[^1]. Ask your school how it works and how it affects your final-year subjects.

### Do preparatory year grades count toward my GPA?

At King Saud University they do: the preparatory-year GPA is counted in your university GPA[^3]. Check your own university's rules.

### How is the weighted percentage calculated?

Each university sets its own weights. Umm Al-Qura uses 40% high school, 30% aptitude and 30% achievement[^4]; King Saud's applied engineering college uses 30/30/40[^2].


## Sources

[^1]: Ministry of Education, secondary school tracks, https://moe.gov.sa/ar/education/generaleducation/StudyPlans/Pages/SecondarySchoolTracks.aspx
[^2]: King Saud University, College of Applied Engineering admission, https://appliedengineering.ksu.edu.sa/en/node/3018
[^3]: King Saud University, Deanship of Admission and Registration FAQs, https://dar.ksu.edu.sa/en/faqs
[^4]: Umm Al-Qura University, undergraduate admission, https://uqu.edu.sa/App/Admission