Alfaisal University، Programs, Rankings, and Admissions

Alfaisal University is different. Established by royal decree in 2002 under the King Faisal Foundation (Alfaisal University، About), with teaching launched in 2008. Its location is not incidental: north Riyadh, adjacent to King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre، one of the largest tertiary referral hospitals in the Middle East. This means medical students receive clinical exposure in a world-class environment from their earliest years.

It is a private, non-profit research university, English-medium, coeducational from day one, and its medical curriculum is built in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic.

Quick Profile

| Attribute | Detail | |---|---| | Location | North Riyadh, adjacent to King Faisal Specialist Hospital | | Founded | 2002 (royal decree), 2008 (teaching began) | | Character | Private, non-profit, research-oriented | | Sponsor | King Faisal Foundation (KFF) | | Language | English exclusively | | Coeducational? | Yes، since founding | | Degrees offered | Bachelor's + Master's + PhD | | Colleges | 5: Medicine, Engineering, Business, Science, Pharmacy | | Academic partnerships | Cleveland Clinic (Medicine), MIT (consultative role in Engineering) | | International accreditations | AACSB (Business), ABET (Engineering), WFME (Medicine) |

Global and Regional Rankings

| Ranking | Position | Year | |---|---|---| | QS World University Rankings | 391 | 2026 | | QS Arab Region Rankings | Top 15 Arab | 2025 | | THE World University Rankings | 601–800 | 2025 | | QS Subject، Medicine | 301–350 globally | 2025 |

Source: QS World University Rankings، Alfaisal University

Distinction: The College of Medicine ranks in the world's top 350 for Medicine per QS، the only private Saudi university achieving this level in Medicine specifically.

Colleges and Programs

1. College of Medicine

• MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery)، 6 years + 1 internship year
• Curriculum built in partnership with Cleveland Clinic (clinical phase)
• Clinical rotations at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Al Hammadi, and others
• Graduate programs: MS Infectious Diseases, MS Genomic Medicine, MS Biomedical Ethics
• Accreditation: WFME (World Federation for Medical Education) + Saudi Commission for Health Specialties

2. College of Engineering

• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• IT Engineering
• Accreditation: ABET (US-based accreditation for engineering programs)

3. College of Business

• BBA، with tracks in Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, General Management
• Executive MBA (EMBA)، the most well-known program
• Master of Finance
• Master of Healthcare Administration
• Accreditation: AACSB (representing ≤6% of business schools globally)

4. College of Science and General Studies

• Life Sciences، strong pathway for pre-med or biomedical research
• Mathematics and Computer Science
• Physics, Chemistry

5. College of Pharmacy

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)، 6 years
• Clinical training in major Riyadh hospitals
• Accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties

Career Outcomes، Where Alumni Work

Alfaisal graduates typically target the private sector and major hospitals, not traditional government roles:

| Field | Typical employers | |---|---| | Medicine | King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Al Hammadi, Saudi German, National Guard hospitals; fellowships in US/Canada/UK | | Engineering | Aramco, SABIC, Ma'aden, major contractors, regional and local tech companies | | Business | Local banks (Al Rajhi, SNB, Riyad Bank), consulting firms (McKinsey, PwC, Deloitte), large Saudi family businesses, PIF and sovereign entities | | Pharmacy | Private hospital pharmacies, global pharma (Pfizer, GSK, Merck), premium retail pharmacy chains |

Notable point: Many Alfaisal graduates continue graduate studies at US and European universities, particularly in medicine and engineering, benefiting from Alfaisal's international accreditations that make their transcripts readily recognized abroad.

What Makes Alfaisal Different

1. Located inside a referral hospital ecosystem، the medical school is effectively embedded within King Faisal Specialist Hospital. No other Saudi university offers this.
2. Cleveland Clinic partnership، the medical curriculum is designed with a top-tier US medical institution.
3. Triple international accreditation، AACSB + ABET + WFME across different colleges. Rare among Saudi universities.
4. Full coeducation since founding، mixed lectures, classroom environment closer to Western universities.
5. Small size relative to national universities، better faculty-to-student ratios and more classroom interaction.

Before You Apply، Honest Read

Alfaisal suits you if:

• Your English is excellent (90%+ of study, exams, and research is in English)
• You want a coeducational environment similar to Western universities
• Your academic/professional ambition is international, and you plan graduate study abroad
• Your family can carry private-university tuition (Alfaisal is not free)
• You want a medical school with early clinical training in a world-class referral hospital

It may not suit you if:

• You prefer a traditional Saudi environment in Arabic with gender-separated classes
• Your career target is a government role that specifically requires a public-university diploma (rare, but exists in some tracks)
• Tuition is a genuine hardship (Saudi public universities are strong and free)

Strong Alternatives

• King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences، public, health-sciences focus, similar environment
• Prince Sultan University، private, Riyadh, stronger in Business and Engineering
• Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University، private, Al Khobar, Eastern Province option
• KAUST، graduate only (MS/PhD), fully research-oriented

Official Sources

• Official site، alfaisal.edu
• Admissions page، Alfaisal Admissions
• College of Medicine، Cleveland Clinic partnership
• QS World University Rankings، Alfaisal University

Read also: Prince Sultan University · Alyamamah University · Effat University · King Saud University · Saudi Universities، Graduate Programs and Distance Learning Guide