What are the key facts about AlMaarefa University?
The key facts about AlMaarefa University in one table, from the Ministry of Education list1 and the university's official pages32; each one is detailed in the sections below.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | AlMaarefa University |
| Type and city | Private, Riyadh |
| Founded | 1430 AH |
| Majors | 14 bachelor's programmes in 5 colleges |
| Full-time semester | SR 46,000 |
| Admission rules | 13 published |
| Official website | https://www.um.edu.sa/ |
What colleges and majors does AlMaarefa University offer?
AlMaarefa University spreads 14 bachelor's programmes over 5 colleges3. The largest is the College of Medical Sciences with 5, and the smallest is the College of Pharmacy with 1.
| Major | College | About the major |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery | College of Medicine | Medicine guide |
| Doctor of Pharmacy | College of Pharmacy | Pharmacy guide |
| Nursing | College of Medical Sciences | Nursing guide |
| Respiratory Care | College of Medical Sciences | Respiratory therapy guide |
| Emergency Medical Services | College of Medical Sciences | Emergency medical services guide |
| Anesthesia Technology | College of Medical Sciences | Anesthesia technology guide |
| Health Information Systems | College of Medical Sciences | Information systems guide |
| Computer Science | College of Engineering and Computer Science | Computer science guide |
| Information Systems | College of Engineering and Computer Science | Information systems guide |
| Industrial Engineering | College of Engineering and Computer Science | Industrial engineering guide |
| Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence | College of Business | Data science guide |
| Operations and Supply Chain Management | College of Business | Supply chain management guide |
| Accounting | College of Business | Accounting guide |
| Finance | College of Business | Finance guide |
13 of these majors have a full tiswa guide on the courses and the job market, linked in the last column. The names are copied as AlMaarefa University writes them on its own page3.
What are the admission requirements at AlMaarefa University?
Almaarefa University is a private university in Diriyah, Riyadh, with 14 bachelor programmes in 5 colleges: medicine, pharmacy, medical sciences, engineering and computer science, and business. Medicine needs 90% secondary grade, 70% Qudrat and 70% Tahsili; the other majors need 80%, 65% and 60%. Here are the majors by college, the admission rules and fees as the university writes them, and the credit hours of the main programmes.
AlMaarefa University publishes the following admission rules2, which we carry over as the official page states them:
- You need a natural-sciences secondary certificate (12 levels) or its equivalent, from inside or outside the Kingdom.
- You may sit a test or a personal interview set by the university council, and you must be medically fit for the requirements of each major.
- Admission is competitive between applicants, by the admission criteria and the seats available.
- You pay a non-refundable admission fee, then the semester fee of your major.
- Medicine and surgery needs 90% secondary grade, 70% Qudrat and 70% Tahsili; the other majors need 80%, 65% and 60%.
- Medicine requires a score in an approved English test: 62 on STEP, 3.5 on IELTS or 40 on TOEFL iBT; the other majors need no set score.
- The College of Business accepts a secondary certificate or its equivalent with a Qudrat score or an equivalent such as the SAT.
- Direct admission to business needs 5.0 in IELTS Academic or its equivalent; below that, admission is conditional through the EP English programme.
- With 4.5 in IELTS you can take the English course alongside the first-level business courses.
- An American-curriculum graduate needs 90% and 1100 of 1600 on the SAT for medicine, and 800 on the SAT for the other majors.
- A holder of a health bachelor degree can apply to medicine with a high very-good grade, an 85% secondary grade and 70% in the graduate aptitude test.
- Bridging is open in pharmacy, nursing, respiratory care, anesthesia technology and emergency medical services with at least a good grade and a valid professional classification.
- A transfer into medicine needs at least 3.75 of 4, and into the other health, computing and engineering majors 2 of 4.
These are the admission conditions for each major or college2: the high-school track, the weighting of the score, the minimum, and whatever else is asked.
| Major | Track | Score weights | Minimum | Other conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 90%, Qudrat 70%, Tahsili 70% | personal interview, English test: STEP 62 or IELTS 3.5 |
| Doctor of Pharmacy | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Nursing | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Respiratory Care | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Anesthesia Technology | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Industrial Engineering | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Emergency Medical Services | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Information Systems | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Health Information Systems | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
| Computer Science | Saudi secondary curriculum | - | high-school percentage 80%, Qudrat 65%, Tahsili 60% | - |
What do you study in each AlMaarefa University programme?
From each programme page on the AlMaarefa University site we carried over the description, the length, the way it is taught and the careers the university lists:
Medicine and Surgery: The Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) is six years of study and an internship year, 222 credit hours in all, taught in three phases starting with a one-year pre-medical phase. It costs 46,000 riyals a semester.4
Careers the university lists: Hospitals, Residency and specialty training, Medical research.
Doctor of Pharmacy: The final year of the Doctor of Pharmacy is a training year of nine rotations; each rotation is 200 hours of field experience, worth 3 credit hours, across nine pharmacy specialties.5
Nursing: Nursing is 137 credit hours over eight levels in four years, followed by a year of practical training in hospital.6
Respiratory Care: Respiratory care is 140 credit hours over at least four study years.7
Emergency Medical Services: Emergency medical services is 145 credit hours over at least four study years.8
Industrial Engineering: Industrial engineering is 165 credit hours over five years, starting with the general preparatory year and its intensive English programme.9
Careers the university lists: Manufacturing, Quality management, Supply chains.
Accounting: The four College of Business majors sit under the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA): 127 credit hours over four years and eight semesters, taught in English.10
Does Almaarefa University offer fee discounts?
Yes. The new-student scholarship gives 25% off for a weighted score of 95% or more in every programme, 20% for 90 to 95%, 15% for 85 to 90% and 10% for 70 to 85%; the bands after the first cover every programme except medicine. An extra 5% applies if you pay the semester fee before it starts.11
Which documents does Almaarefa University ask for?
The original secondary certificate, a copy of your Qudrat and Tahsili or SAT scores, the original English test result if you have one, a copy of your ID or residence permit with the original, four 4x6 photos, and a copy of your guardian's ID. A transfer student adds a certified transcript and course descriptions.2
Can an English test exempt me from the English courses?
Yes. 51 on STEP or 3.5 on IELTS exempts you from ENG 101, 77 or 5 from ENG 102, and 87 or 5.5 from ENG 104.2
Are secondary graduates from outside Saudi Arabia accepted?
Yes. A Gulf graduate needs 95% for medicine with 70% in the Qiyas test and 5.5 in IELTS, 75% for pharmacy and 70% for the rest. The exams must be centralised and equated by the Ministry of Education.2
Check your weighted score against the scholarship bands before you decide: the discount can reach 25%, plus 5% for early payment. If you are aiming for medicine, prepare the English test and the interview early.
How much are AlMaarefa University fees?
This is the AlMaarefa University fee table as the university publishes it2. It has 8 lines, all in Saudi riyals.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Admission fee, paid once and non-refundable | SR 3,000 once |
| Medicine and Surgery, per year (7 years) | SR 92,000 a year |
| Medicine and Surgery, per semester | SR 46,000 a semester |
| Medicine and Surgery, per credit hour in the summer term | SR 2,550 per credit hour |
| Doctor of Pharmacy, per year (6 years) | SR 70,000 a year |
| Nursing, respiratory care, emergency medical services and anesthesia technology, per year (5 years) | SR 60,000 a year |
| Health information systems, per year (4 years) | SR 50,000 a year |
| Industrial engineering, information systems, computer science and the business programmes, per semester | SR 35,000 a semester |
At SR 46,000 a semester, a two-semester year at AlMaarefa University costs SR 92,000 and eight regular semesters SR 368,000, before summer terms and books.
Is AlMaarefa University more expensive than other private universities?
| University | City | Full-time semester | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfaisal University | Riyadh | SR 47,00012 | published semester fee |
| AlMaarefa University | Riyadh | SR 46,0002 | published semester fee |
| Riyadh Elm University | Riyadh | SR 45,00013 | published semester fee |
| Sulaiman Alrajhi University | Al-Bukayriyah | SR 45,00014 | published semester fee |
| Al Yamamah University | Riyadh | SR 37,00015 | published semester fee |
| Prince Sultan University | Riyadh | SR 36,00016 | SR 3,000 × 12 hours |
| Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University | Khobar | SR 32,50017 | published semester fee |
| Dar Al Uloom University | Riyadh | SR 29,40018 | SR 2,450 × 12 hours |
AlMaarefa University ranks 2 of 8 on our list, from the most to the least expensive full-time semester, 56% above DAU. The full list is in the private university fee comparison.
Where else can you study the AlMaarefa University majors?
If AlMaarefa University does not admit you, the same majors appear at other universities on our list:
- Medicine: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IAU (Dammam), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), REU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
- Pharmacy: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), IAU (Dammam), Jazan University (Jazan), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), REU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
- Nursing: University of Bisha (Bisha), IAU (Dammam), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), REU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
- Respiratory therapy: University of Bisha (Bisha), Jazan University (Jazan), KSU (Riyadh), PNU (Riyadh), Taibah University (Madinah) and UQU (Makkah)
- Emergency medical services: Jazan University (Jazan), KSU (Riyadh) and UQU (Makkah)
- Anesthesia technology: KKU (Abha)
- Information systems: AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
- Computer science: AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KAUST (Thuwal), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah) and UQU (Makkah)
- Industrial engineering: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), PNU (Riyadh), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
- Data science: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PNU (Riyadh), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taibah University (Madinah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
- Supply chain management: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), UJ (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), Majmaah University (Majmaah), PNU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taibah University (Madinah), UBT (Jeddah) and Mustaqbal University (Buraidah)
- Accounting: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
- Finance: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), PMU (Khobar), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
Which fee mistakes do students make at AlMaarefa University?
- Missing this rule: Pharmacy, nursing, respiratory care, emergency medical services and anesthesia technology charge a fee for the internship year equal to one study year; the computing, engineering, business and health information systems programmes have no internship year.2
- Leaving summer out of the budget: at AlMaarefa University it is SR 2,550 per credit hour2
Where does the AlMaarefa University information on this page come from?
Every figure and name on this page was copied by hand from official pages. These are the sources we used,:
- um.edu.sa
Before you apply, read the unified admission guide and the university transfer guide.