Qatar University and Education City admissions: requirements for 2026 and 2027

Qatar University minimums by college

From QU's college requirements page and its June 2026 announcement, checked on 6 October 2026.

QU says meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission; applicants must meet every other requirement, including tests. The Fall 2027 rules apply to students enrolling from August 2027.

What the Fall 2027 change means

Students in Grade 11 now (the class entering university in August 2028) and Grade 12 students planning to start in August 2027 apply under the higher minimums. For most colleges the bar moves from 70% to 75%, and for medicine and dental medicine from 85% to 90%. The minimum is only the entry ticket: when applications exceed seats, colleges admit the strongest applicants, so a student aiming at a competitive programme should plan to be comfortably above it.

International-curriculum students (British, American, IB) are assessed through certificate equivalency, and those applying to English-taught health and engineering programmes should plan their IELTS or TOEFL and SAT, ACT or QU placement scores during Grade 12 rather than after results.

Education City universities

Qatar Foundation lists eight universities in Education City. Each runs its own admissions with its own requirements and deadlines.

List from Qatar Foundation, checked 6 October 2026. Check each university's admissions page for requirements; many American branch campuses consider SAT or ACT scores and English tests.

Scholarships for Qatari students

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education runs three scholarship tracks: the Amiri Scholarship, the Overseas Scholarship and the Domestic Scholarship. According to the Qatar News Agency's July 2026 report, the Amiri Scholarship requires admission to one of 24 top world universities or a designated Amiri university in Education City and pays a QR 20,000 monthly stipend, a QR 40,000 pre-departure allowance and two return business-class tickets a year. The top ten Qatari graduates in the science, humanities and technology streams, and the top three from specialised schools, qualify for the Domestic Scholarship at accredited Qatari universities.

A Grade 11 and 12 checklist

1. Pick target programmes and note the minimum average, the track requirement and any English or maths test.
2. Compare the school's predicted or current average with the Fall 2027 minimum, not the old one.
3. Book IELTS or TOEFL and SAT or ACT early in Grade 12 if the programme needs them.
4. For Education City, check each university's deadlines, which can fall months before Qatar University's.
5. Qatari students aiming for the Amiri Scholarship should secure an unconditional offer from an approved university.

How tutoring helps

For most Doha families the lever is the final school average and, for health and engineering programmes, the test scores. A tutor who teaches your child's curriculum (IGCSE and A Level, American or IB) can support the subjects pulling the average down and, separately, prepare SAT maths or IELTS. LiveTutor lessons are one to one, 60 minutes and online, which fits around the Qatar school day.