King Khalid University is a public university in Abha, in the Asir region of south-western Saudi Arabia. It was officially established on 6 May 1998 by merging the southern branches of the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University and King Saud University. Abha lies in the mountains, at a height that gives the city a mild climate compared with the rest of the country.
The university is large. It has 27 campuses, among them the University City in Al-Fara’a. The number of students is 61,708. The academic staff counts 3,136 people and the administrative staff 2,126. This puts KKU among the larger universities of the Kingdom, with a presence across the Asir region.
The teaching is organised in 26 accredited colleges, grouped in four clusters: humanities and social sciences, scientific, applied and health. The best known colleges are Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Engineering, Science, Computer Science, Law, Business and Education. The health cluster in particular serves the clinical needs of the region and trains doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
The rankings give some context. The university is among the top 500 in the world in the Shanghai Ranking, a leading Arab university in the QS Arab ranking, and it is listed in the Times Higher Education global rankings. Applicants should check the current positions on the official pages.
The president named in the record is Faleh bin Raja Allah Al-Solami, whose term is listed as 2016 to 2024, with Saad bin Mohammed bin Dajam acting in 2024, so the current status is not clear from the source used here. Applicants should check the official pages for the admission rules, the language of each programme and the housing available. Tuition is free for Saudi citizens, and rules for international students differ. Check the current tariff.
Students should be aware of the geography. The campuses are spread across a mountainous region, so applicants should read the official pages carefully for the campus assigned to each programme. The university offers scholarships and housing, and international students should check the conditions and the language of instruction before applying to health and engineering programmes.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
University City in Al-Fara’a and 27 campuses in the Asir region.
Research:
Health sciences, engineering, science, computer science, humanities and social sciences.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5262
Current students***:
61708
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
26 colleges in four clusters, 27 campuses, 61,708 students, Shanghai Ranking top 500, mountain setting in Abha.
Cons
Campuses spread over a mountainous region, teaching in Arabic and English, regional focus.
Best For
Students looking for a large public university in the mountainous south-west of Saudi Arabia.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
King Saud University shares the core fields of this institution, namely chemistry, life sciences and data analytics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University sits close to this university on finance, life sciences and data analytics; it has almost the same size, at about 60,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Also strong in chemistry, life sciences and data analytics, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology makes a sensible second look at home; it covers marine science and physics as well and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Indiana University Indianapolis, in the United States, takes a similar route through finance, life sciences and data analytics; it covers bioinformatics as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 29,390 students against roughly 61,708 here.
Beyond national borders, University of Granada stands out as a comparable school for chemistry, life sciences and data analytics; it has almost the same size, at about 60,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Griffith University in Australia pursues a similar profile in finance, life sciences and data analytics, and it is slightly smaller, at about 44,427 students against roughly 61,708 here, and is also a public institution.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on finance, chemistry and life sciences is University of New South Wales in Australia, and it is also a public institution and also offers graduate certificate and mba programmes.
For finance, chemistry and life sciences outside the home country, University of Barcelona in Spain is a natural reference; it covers microbiology and genetics and ecology and sustainability as well, and has almost the same size, at about 62,995 students.
*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 King Khalid University?
In Abha, in the Asir region of south-western Saudi Arabia.
When was it established?
On 6 May 1998.
How was it formed?
By merging the southern branches of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University and King Saud University.
How many campuses does it have?
27, including the University City in Al-Fara'a.
How many students does it have?
61,708.
How many academic staff does it have?
3,136.
How many colleges does it have?
26 accredited colleges in four clusters.
Which clusters does it have?
Humanities and social sciences, scientific, applied and health.
How is it placed in the Shanghai Ranking?
In the top 500 worldwide.
What does it cost?
Tuition is free for Saudi citizens, and rules for international students differ. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Engineering, Innovation, 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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