Best universities in Saudi Arabia 2027
What are the top universities in Saudi Arabia? Explore the Saudi Arabia University Ranking 2027 using data compiled for the Arab University Rankings 2027.
Universities across Saudi Arabia are scored in areas such as teaching, research and international outlook.
It uses a robust methodology, created by the in-house data team, that is relied upon by students, academics, policymakers and industry leaders worldwide.
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Top universities in Saudi Arabia 2027
| Saudi Arabia Rank 2027 | Arab University Rank 2027 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
| 1 | 1 | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) | 67.6 | 46.6 | 47.4 | 96 | 98.5 | 98.2 |
| 2 | 3 | KFUPM | 63.9 | 40.3 | 44.4 | 94.5 | 95.8 | 92.8 |
| 3 | 4 | King Saud University | 61.6 | 43.4 | 36.8 | 93.3 | 92.2 | 85.6 |
| 4 | 8 | King Khalid University | 55.4 | 37.9 | 32.4 | 84.5 | 63.5 | 92.4 |
| 5 | 14 | Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University | 52.1 | 27.5 | 32.3 | 87.5 | 59.3 | 80.2 |
| 6 | 16 | King Abdulaziz University | 51.4 | 31.1 | 24.2 | 89.1 | 71 | 75.4 |
| 7 | 17 | Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University | 51 | 30.4 | 26.8 | 87.1 | 41 | 86.4 |
| 8 | 18 | Prince Sultan University (PSU) | 50.9 | 20.2 | 30 | 92.2 | 56.2 | 83.6 |
| 9 | 20 | Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University | 50.3 | 30.5 | 29.1 | 78.4 | 58.3 | 93.8 |
| 10 | 23 | Umm Al-Qura University | 49.4 | 37.4 | 29.7 | 79.6 | 38.5 | 58 |
| 11 | 27 | King Faisal University | 47.6 | 26.9 | 23.6 | 82 | 56.2 | 78.6 |
| 12 | =31 | University of Business and Technology (Saudi Arabia) | 45 | 17.5 | 24.6 | 84.7 | 16.1 | 89.1 |
| 13 | 34 | Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University | 44.1 | 33.5 | 22 | 66.1 | 38.5 | 86.2 |
| =14 | =35 | Effat University | 43.8 | 20.5 | 20.6 | 75.9 | 44.6 | 96.4 |
| =14 | =35 | Taif University | 43.8 | 20 | 19.2 | 85.2 | 24.4 | 77.9 |
| 16 | 38 | Jouf University | 43.6 | 20.6 | 22.2 | 80.6 | 32 | 75.4 |
| 17 | =41 | Islamic University of Madinah | 43 | 31.5 | 20.5 | 65.3 | 35.3 | 90.2 |
| 18 | 44 | Majmaah University | 42.7 | 30.7 | 24.9 | 64.2 | 37.5 | 75.2 |
| 19 | =45 | University of Tabuk | 42.5 | 26.7 | 19.5 | 72.9 | 34.8 | 76.8 |
| =20 | =47 | Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University | 42.2 | 29.2 | 17.3 | 72.4 | 29 | 75.5 |
| =20 | =47 | Qassim University | 42.2 | 27.5 | 18 | 71.3 | 30.7 | 84.1 |
| 22 | 50 | King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences | 42 | 46.8 | 22.2 | 53.3 | 44.1 | 53.4 |
| 23 | 51 | AlMaarefa University | 41.6 | 22.6 | 20.9 | 70.7 | 20.1 | 92 |
| 24 | 57 | University of Ha’il | 40.9 | 23 | 15.5 | 74.6 | 34.4 | 78.6 |
| 25 | 62 | Northern Border University | 40.3 | 24.8 | 17.5 | 70.4 | 27.8 | 75.1 |
| 26 | 63 | Alfaisal University | 39.7 | 24.2 | 24.8 | 53.9 | 51.4 | 95.9 |
| 27 | 64 | Jazan University | 39.1 | 23.7 | 15.6 | 70 | 24.2 | 75.7 |
| 28 | 69 | Najran University | 37.9 | 16.1 | 13.9 | 75.2 | 19.5 | 77 |
| 29 | 83 | University of Hafr Al Batin | 35.8 | 20.6 | 18.3 | 58.2 | 26.9 | 78.4 |
| 30 | 84 | Taibah University | 35.6 | 16.8 | 12.6 | 67.9 | 25.6 | 74 |
| 31 | =89 | University of Jeddah | 34.9 | 17.9 | 13 | 66.4 | 21.9 | 66.7 |
| 32 | =100 | University of Bisha | 33.3 | 19.6 | 10 | 61.6 | 16.4 | 72.7 |
| =33 | 101–125 | Al-Baha University | 31.2–33.2 | 20.3 | 10.9 | 56.2 | 29.6 | 75 |
| =33 | 101–125 | Batterjee Medical College | 31.2–33.2 | 25.1 | 12 | 46.3 | 21.6 | 99.3 |
| =33 | 101–125 | Saudi Electronic University | 31.2–33.2 | 10.1 | 12.6 | 67.5 | 19.8 | 72.1 |
| =33 | 101–125 | Shaqra University | 31.2–33.2 | 17.3 | 11.1 | 61.3 | 17.7 | 73.4 |
Key insights into the Saudi Arabia University Ranking 2027
- There are 36 universities in the Saudi Arabia University Ranking. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology takes first place.
- The Saudi Arabia University Ranking is taken from data collected for the Times Higher Education Arab University Rankings 2027.
- The Arab University Rankings shine a spotlight on countries in the Arab world including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE and Lebanon.
Choosing the right university in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is emerging as an attractive option for students looking to study in the Middle East. International students hoping to apply to universities in Saudi Arabia can use the Study in Saudi portal, which is a centralised application system. Through the portal, students can browse universities in the kingdom, apply for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, submit applications for up to five universities, browse and apply for scholarships and track their applications.
The table for the best universities in Saudi Arabia was derived from data collected for the THE Arab University Rankings. The results are calculated using 17 performance indicators underlying five metrics: research environment, teaching (the learning environment), research quality, industry, and international outlook. For further insight and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the Saudi Arabia university ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.
