Study and find schools in Palestine

Studying in Palestine

Palestine, made up of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, has a young but extensive higher-education system that teaches mainly in Arabic. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) puts the population at 5,557,096 at the end of 2025. According to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, there are 49 higher education institutions in the West Bank and Gaza, attended by more than 221,000 students.

Most Palestinian universities were founded from the 1970s onwards, under Israeli occupation, as part of an effort to preserve Palestinian national identity and to let young people study at home when travelling abroad had become difficult, the Ministry explains. For international students, the main routes are an exchange semester through programmes such as Erasmus+ or a full degree taught in Arabic. Conditions differ sharply between the two territories: in the Gaza Strip, the PCBS has revised its population estimates downwards because of the war that began in October 2023.

The education system in Palestine

Higher education is regulated by the Higher Education Law No. 6 of 2018 and by the Higher Education Council and the Ministry. The Ministry lists 11 government, 17 public, 17 private and 4 UNRWA institutions; most universities are public, non-profit institutions owned by local charities and NGOs. The types of institution are universities (at least three faculties awarding a bachelor's degree or higher), university colleges, polytechnics and community colleges. The main qualifications are:

• Intermediate diploma: 2 years, 66-72 credit hours
• Bachelor's degree: 4 years for most subjects (120-148 credit hours), 5 years in pharmacy, dentistry and engineering, and 6 years in medicine
• Higher diploma: 30 credit hours after the bachelor's degree
• Master's degree: 36 credit hours plus a thesis or comprehensive exam, usually 2 years
• Doctorate: at least 48 credit hours plus a thesis, 3 years

The academic year has two semesters of 16 weeks. The first usually starts in mid-September and ends in January; the second runs from February to June. At Hebron University, an optional summer semester lasts 8 weeks.

Admission and recognition

Admission to all Palestinian institutions requires the Palestinian general secondary certificate (Tawjihi) or an equivalent qualification, such as the IB, GCE or Abitur, once it has been made equivalent by the Ministry. Admission is competitive: each university sets the minimum grade for each programme, and some universities require an English proficiency test. At Hebron University, undergraduate applicants also pass the university's entrance exam and submit two recommendation letters from their secondary school.

The Ministry's certificate equivalency service issues equivalence documents for foreign secondary certificates and for degrees from non-Palestinian higher education institutions. Applications are handled in Ramallah and at the Ministry's offices in Nablus and Hebron.

Entry and residence

There is no Palestinian student visa. According to Hebron University's information for visitors (checked October 2026):

• The Palestinian Authority does not issue visas for foreigners, and the visa granted by Israel also applies to the Palestinian territories
• The university cannot guarantee that the Israeli authorities will grant a visa, so students should check their country's visa policy with Israel at their embassy
• Travellers can arrive through Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, or fly to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman and cross from Jordan at the King Hussein Bridge or the Sheikh Hussein Bridge
• Students arriving through Jordan need to check the Jordanian visa rules for their nationality

International students should contact the international relations office of their host university before applying, as it can advise on entry and arrangements.

Costs

Tuition is set by each institution. At Hebron University, the administration determines the annual tuition fee at the beginning of every academic year, together with fees for application, seat reservation, insurance and services. The Ministry provides full funding to government institutions and partial funding to non-government ones, and runs a student loan fund and scholarship programmes. Students coming through an exchange programme such as Erasmus+ should ask the host university which fees apply to them.

Where to study

Our directory lists one university in Palestine:

• Hebron: Hebron University, which began in 1971 with the Islamic Shari'a College and describes itself as the first university in Palestine. It had 9,579 students in the first semester of 2024-2025 and offers 112 academic programmes at diploma, bachelor's and postgraduate level. Its Center for Languages and Translation, established in 1995, offers courses in more than five languages and is developing a programme of Arabic for non-native speakers.

The Ministry's list of Palestinian universities includes, among others, Birzeit University, An-Najah National University, Bethlehem University and Al-Quds University in the West Bank, and the Islamic University of Gaza and Al-Azhar University in Gaza.

Daily life

Hebron is, according to the university, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with an old town and covered market (souq), the Ibrahimi Mosque and traditional crafts such as pottery, glass blowing and leather work. Entry and travel depend on the political situation, so students should follow their government's travel advice and keep in close contact with their university.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to study in Palestine?

The Palestinian Authority does not issue visas. Entry depends on the Israeli authorities, whose visa also applies to the Palestinian territories, so check your country's visa policy with Israel before you apply.

In which language are courses taught?

Mainly in Arabic. Some universities require an English proficiency test, and university requirements usually include courses in Arabic and English.

How long is a bachelor's degree in Palestine?

Four years for most subjects, five years in pharmacy, dentistry and engineering, and six years in medicine, according to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Is my secondary school certificate accepted?

Foreign certificates such as the IB, GCE or Abitur are accepted after the Ministry has made them equivalent to the Palestinian Tawjihi. The Ministry's certificate equivalency service handles the request.