With the conclusion of the Thanawya Amma examinations, students begin the next stage of their academic journey by choosing their higher education path. Whether they enroll in public, Al-Azhar, private, national, or international universities, academies, or other higher education institutions, these decisions play a key role in shaping their future careers.

This factsheet provides an overview of Egypt's higher education landscape, highlighting students' enrollment trends and the most popular fields of study.

• During the 2024/2025 academic year, around 1.2 million students were accepted into higher education institutions across Egypt. Public and Al-Azhar universities remained the primary destination, admitting 638,436 students, or1% of total accepted students. Private higher institutes ranked second with 211,231 students (17.9%), followed by private, national, and foreign universities with 189,207 students (16%). Technological colleges enrolled 68,900 students (5.8%), while above-intermediate technical institutes admitted 40,766 students (3.5%).
• Total enrollment across Egypt's higher education institutions reached approximately 4 million students during the 2024/2025 academic year. Public and Al-Azhar universities accounted for the largest share, with 2.4 million enrolled students, representing 59.2% of total enrollment. Private higher institutes followed with 841,663 students (21.1%), while private, national, and foreign universities enrolled 496,321 students (12.4%). Technological colleges hosted 126,827 students (3.2%), compared with 80,946 students in above-intermediate technical institutes.
• During the 2024/2025 academic year, Al-Azhar University recorded the highest student enrollment among Egypt's public and Al-Azhar universities, with 323,452 students, representing 13.7% of the total. Alexandria University ranked second with 193,606 students (8.2%), followed closely by Cairo University with 191,433 students (8.1%).
• Theoretical faculties continued to dominate enrollment at Egypt's public and Al-Azhar universities during the 2024/2025 academic year, accounting for 71.1% of total students, compared with 28.9% in practical faculties. Within theoretical disciplines, the Faculty of Commerce recorded the highest enrollment, with 380,483 students (16.1% of total enrollment). Among practical faculties, Medicine ranked first, with 112,173 students (4.7%).
• Enrollment in private, national, and foreign higher education institutions reached 496,321 students during the 2024/2025 academic year. Misr University for Science and Technology recorded the highest enrollment, with 40,912 students, representing 8.2% of the total, followed by October 6 University with 29,931 students (6.0%) and Delta University for Science and Technology with 22,307 students (4.5%). Among national universities, Galala University ranked first, with 11,658 students.
• Egypt's public and Al-Azhar universities comprised 551 faculties during the 2024/2025 academic year, with an average of 19 students per faculty member and teaching assistant. Al-Azhar University had the largest academic structure, with 79 faculties, followed by Beni Suef University with 28 and Helwan University with 22. Faculty-to-staff ratios varied considerably across universities, ranging from just six students per faculty member and assistant at New Valley University to 41 at Damanhour University.

 

By: Amina Hussein