Engineering, Science, Fine Arts, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Law and Political Science, Economics, Management, Veterinary Medicine, Geography, Psychology and Education
The University of Tehran was officially inaugurated in 1934 as the first modern university of Iran. It grew from earlier institutions: Dar ul-Funun, founded in 1851, and the Tehran School of Political Sciences, founded in 1899. It admitted women students in 1937, although another section of the record gives 1935. The main campus is on Enghelab Street in central Tehran.
Other campuses include Baghe Negarestan in the east of the centre, Northern Amirabad in the west of the centre and Abureyhan in the suburbs. The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is in Karaj and Pakdasht, and the College of Farabi is in Qom. This spread makes it a university of several cities, and not only of the capital.
In 2023 the university counted about 41,000 students, including about 20,000 undergraduates and 21,000 postgraduates. The full-time faculty numbered about 2,000 and the full-time administrative staff about 3,500. The offer includes more than 111 bachelor programs, more than 177 master programs and more than 156 PhD programs. Admission is limited to the top 1 percent of candidates in the national entrance exam, which makes it the most selective university in Iran.
The main faculties and colleges are the College of Engineering, with schools of electrical, mechanical, civil and chemical engineering, the College of Science, the College of Fine Arts, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Faculties of Law and Political Science, Economics, Management, Veterinary Medicine, Geography, and Psychology and Education complete the list.
Notable alumni and associates include Lotfi A. Zadeh, the pioneer of fuzzy logic, who received an engineering degree in 1942, Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2003, who studied law, and the filmmaker Asghar Farhadi. Babak Hassibi is a professor at Caltech. Mohammad Mosaddegh, former prime minister, taught at the university, and Mohammad Khatami, former president, studied there. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
International applicants should read the official pages carefully. The conditions for admission, the language of teaching and the possibilities of exchange depend on the programme and on the current situation, and sanctions can limit some collaborations. The university remains a central institution for science, engineering and the arts in Iran, with a very large alumni network in the country and abroad.
Campuses at Baghe Negarestan, Northern Amirabad and Abureyhan, College of Farabi in Qom, agriculture colleges in Karaj and Pakdasht.
Research:
Engineering, sciences, agriculture, fine arts, law, economics and the social sciences.
Famous Alumnis:
Lotfi Zadeh, Shirin Ebadi, Asghar Farhadi, Babak Hassibi, Mohammad Mosaddegh, Mohammad Khatami
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5500
Current students***:
41000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Oldest modern university of Iran, about 41,000 students, 111 bachelor programs, 177 master programs and 156 PhD programs, admission limited to the top 1 percent of candidates.
Cons
Highly competitive entrance exam, teaching mainly in Persian, sanctions affect international exchange.
Best For
Students seeking the leading and most selective comprehensive university of Iran.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Tehran University of Medical Sciences offers a comparable education in tehran, medicine and iran: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Seen from abroad, University of Belgrade (Serbia) is a close relative on subject matter, since civil engineering, chemistry and physics are central to both, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers life sciences as well.
For a study option in Portugal with a comparable spread of agriculture, civil engineering and chemistry, University of Lisbon is the reference point: it covers finance and life sciences as well, and is slightly larger, at about 47,794 students against roughly 41,000 here.
In Spain, University of the Basque Country teaches much the same core subjects, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Yangzhou University in China shares the agriculture, civil engineering and chemistry orientation of this institution, and it covers food science and life sciences as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 26,000 students against roughly 41,000 here.
Cairo University, in Egypt, takes a similar route through agriculture, civil engineering and chemistry; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers finance and life sciences as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the University of Tehran?
On Enghelab Street, in central Tehran, Iran.
When was it inaugurated?
In 1934.
What were its predecessors?
Dar ul-Funun from 1851 and the Tehran School of Political Sciences from 1899.
When did it admit women?
In 1937 according to one section of the record, 1935 according to another.
How many students does it have?
About 41,000 in 2023.
How many PhD programs does it offer?
More than 156.
How selective is admission?
Limited to the top 1 percent of candidates in the national entrance exam.
Which Nobel Peace Prize laureate studied law there?
Shirin Ebadi, in 2003.
Who is the pioneer of fuzzy logic among its alumni?
Lotfi A. Zadeh.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Agriculture, Engineering, Innovation, Physics, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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