Universities in Bahrain

Bahrain is a small island kingdom in the Gulf with a compact higher education sector made up of public and private universities and colleges. Quality is checked by the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA), which reviews institutions and programmes, runs national examinations and administers the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Its public register lets you look up the academic and training programmes offered by institutions across Bahrain and their NQF status, and its higher education reports give each institution's latest review judgement.

Our directory lists two universities in Bahrain, both in the Manama area: the Arabian Gulf University and the University College of Bahrain.

How universities in Bahrain work

Bahrain's universities award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, and many programmes are taught in English, although some are taught in Arabic. Before you apply, check two things on official sites: whether the programme appears in the BQA register with its NQF status, and whether the university is on the Ministry of Education's list of recommended universities and programmes, a search service the ministry offers on its website.

The two universities in our directory are quite different. The Arabian Gulf University (AGU) was established in Bahrain in 1980 to provide higher education in medical and health sciences. It describes itself as a government university with autonomy, managed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) through a General Conference of the member states' education ministers. It has a College of Medicine & Health Sciences and a College of Education & Administrative & Technical Sciences, offers 31 programmes and reports 1,895 students in its undergraduate programmes. The University College of Bahrain (UCB), in Al Janabiyah, is organised in departments that include Business Administration (with an undergraduate programme and an MBA) and Information Technology.

Programme length depends on the field. At AGU, the Doctor of Medicine takes six years plus a one-year internship and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing four years plus a six-month internship, both taught in English.

Admission for international students

Each university sets its own admission rules, usually based on the grades of your secondary school certificate, an English test and, for some programmes, an interview. AGU accepts national and international certificates such as A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and the American diploma for medicine, with high minimum grades in the science subjects. For English, it asks for an IELTS score of at least 6 for medicine and 5.5 for nursing; applicants who do not meet the English requirement are placed in a foundation year. For postgraduate programmes, degrees issued outside Bahrain need an official equivalency certificate.

Student visa and residence

According to the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) of the Ministry of Interior, a student visa can be issued to students enrolled in local or international universities or institutes in Bahrain. The application is submitted by a guarantor or an authorised person while you are still outside Bahrain, with a copy of your passport (valid for more than six months) and an official letter from your university. Processing takes three working days, and the fees are 5 BHD for the application, 5 BHD for approval and 30 BHD for issuance; the visa must be used within three months.

Once in Bahrain, students at local universities can get a residence permit for five years (issuance fee 60 BHD). Holders of a student residence permit may not work, paid or unpaid, unless the relevant authority issues an official permit. Bahrain's only official website for visa applications is evisa.gov.bh.

Costs and funding

Fees vary widely by university and programme, so check the current fee page of each one. As examples from AGU: the Doctor of Medicine costs BD 19,200 a year, increasing by 5% annually; the nursing degree costs BD 4,000 a year; and PhD programmes cost BHD 8,500 a year, with a 40% discount for self-sponsored students. AGU also runs university housing for students through its Student Housing Unit.

How to choose a university in Bahrain

• Recognition: check the programme's NQF status in the BQA register and the Ministry of Education's list of recommended universities
• Field: AGU focuses on medicine, health, education and management; UCB on business and information technology
• Language: most programmes are in English, but some postgraduate programmes are in Arabic
• Cost: compare annual fees, application fees and the visa and residence permit fees
• Housing: ask whether the university offers student housing

Frequently asked questions

Can I study in English in Bahrain?

Yes. Many university programmes are taught in English; at AGU, medicine and nursing are taught in English and require an IELTS score of at least 6 and 5.5 respectively. Some postgraduate programmes are taught in Arabic.

How do I check that a university in Bahrain is recognised?

Look up the programme in the register of the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA), which shows its NQF status, and read the institution's latest BQA review report. The Ministry of Education also publishes a search service for recommended universities and programmes.

Do I need a visa to study in Bahrain?

Foreign students apply for a student visa through a guarantor before arriving, with a letter from their university. Processing takes three working days, and students at local universities can then get a five-year residence permit.

Can I work while studying in Bahrain?

Not without permission. Holders of a student residence permit may not work, paid or unpaid, unless the relevant authority issues an official permit.