Why Study at KFUPM?

We draw exceptional talent from across the globe, uniting brilliant minds in STEM and earth sciences under one mission: advancing human knowledge.

Here, visionary thinking meets unparalleled resources. Our state-of-the-art facilities and equipment empower researchers to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. Since 1963, KFUPM has been a catalyst where scientific visions become groundbreaking discoveries.

A little city with big city vibes: We’re located in Dhahran, nestled between the world’s largest energy company, Aramco, and the Arabian Gulf. The city is a vibrant center of multicultural dining, modern movie theaters, lots of retail shopping, and Ithra, a cultural center that brings together history, arts, and entertainment under one iconic roof.

Ranking high: Don’t take our word for it, the stats speak volumes. Four years ago, KFUPM ranked 200th by QS World University Ranking. Today the University holds the 101st position. And we hold strong in the top 100 positions for all engineering fields. Additionally, KFUPM sits fourth worldwide in holding US-granted patents, putting us ahead most of the more famous academic institutes.  Discover more about our rankings.

A diverse campus: When we say top talent, we mean it. We attract the top two per cent of Saudi high school graduates, and our international student body is drawn from all four corners of the planet. On top of that, women make up 50 per cent of our engineering program intake, no other university anywhere can say the same. Our undergrad-to-grad ratio is five to one; our student-to-faculty ratio is twelve to one.

Academic diversity: Our school’s undergraduate concentrations (CX and the BS-X) and professional masters (MX) programs focus on the digital future and emerging fields.

We are multidisciplinary: Our students’ learning and extracurricular experiences are interdisciplinary – from undergraduates to post-docs, KFUPMers work in teams spanning the school’s six colleges.

Our research vision: We tackle global grand challenges through innovative solutions, from developing climate adaptation strategies to advancing emerging technologies. Our expertise spans the Internet of Things (IoT), drone systems, cloud computing, and smart city innovations, all focused on creating a more sustainable and connected future.

Pioneering how we learn: We traditionally focused on engineering, science, computer science, business, and earth sciences. But progress doesn’t stop, so we transformed to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. We did this ahead of the curve to prepare students for tomorrow’s technology advancements. Additionally, a suite of more than 35 new programs recognize that up-and-coming technological fields, such as AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, and blockchain, to name a few, will meet the world’s future industry needs.