KAUST Fellowship 2027: Saudi Arabia's Fully Funded Grad School Worth $70K–$80K a Year — Round 2 Open Until January 3

Last updated: September 2026

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia opened Round 2 of its Fall 2027 graduate admissions cycle on September 28, 2026, and applications stay open until January 3, 2027. The KAUST Fellowship covers full tuition and bench fees (worth up to $35,000 a year), pays a stipend of $20,000–$30,000 a year, and adds free housing, health insurance, and relocation — a package the university itself values at $70,000–$80,000 per year, with more than 90% of admitted students receiving full funding.

The short answer for international applicants: KAUST accepts students of almost every nationality (120+ nationalities on campus), offers master's and PhD programs in AI, computer science, engineering, energy, environment, bioscience and applied math, teaches everything in English on a Red Sea campus, and requires a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 plus IELTS 7.0 or equivalent — with waivers for graduates of universities in six English-speaking countries. No application cap, no nationality quota, and GRE scores are optional.

What the $70K–$80K Package Actually Contains

This is not a tuition discount. The KAUST Fellowship is a complete funding package, and the university's own fees-and-funding page breaks it down:

Add tuition plus the cash stipend and you are already at $55,000–$65,000 in money and money-equivalents — before counting Red Sea campus housing and dependent medical coverage in Thuwal, near Jeddah. That is how the university reaches its published $70,000–$80,000 annual estimate. For PhD students the stipend climbs with academic progress toward $30,000, which means an international student can graduate with savings instead of debt.

Source: KAUST official admissions portal

Who Qualifies: The Full Eligibility Picture

For master's admission you need a bachelor's degree in a relevant subject; for PhD admission you need a research master's — and the university explicitly notes that professional master's degrees are not treated as directly equivalent. The minimum permitted GPA is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, but the admitted profile runs higher: KAUST states that 90% of admitted applicants exceed a 3.3 and 75% exceed a 3.5. You must be at least 18 years old at entry. There is no nationality requirement — 46% of the 1,741 students on campus are international, 37% are women, and the university has ranked the #1 Arab university in the Times Higher Education rankings from 2023 through 2025.

The research programs span nine areas: computer science, artificial intelligence, electrical and mechanical engineering, materials science, energy and chemical engineering, earth and environmental science, bioscience, applied mathematics, and Red Sea science. You can apply to the MS track, a combined MS/PhD pathway, or direct PhD entry if you already hold a research master's.

English Requirements: Official Numbers and Waivers

The English threshold is the question international applicants ask most, so here are the official published minimums:

• IELTS: 7.0 overall, with at least 6.5 in every section (IELTS Online accepted).
• PTE Academic: 71 overall, minimum 67 per section.
• Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency: 185 overall, minimum 176 per skill.
• TOEFL iBT: accepted under institution code 4107, including the Home Edition.

KAUST does not accept Medium-of-Instruction (MOI) letters, the Duolingo English Test (except for Visiting Students), TOEFL MyBest superscores, or IELTS One Skill Retake. There is a full waiver for applicants who completed an in-person degree in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand — distance, branch, and joint programs do not count — and for graduates of KAUST's own Thuwal campus. A conditional-admission route through the university's AELC language course also exists for Saudi nationals and PhD applicants, with slightly lower thresholds (IELTS 6.5 overall, for example). GRE scores are entirely optional.

Source: KAUST official news

The Official Fall 2027 Timeline

These dates come from KAUST's official admission timelines page, which notes they are tentative and may shift with application volume:

An earlier round has already closed, so Round 2 is the live window. The university says decisions come faster for applicants who submit complete documents early and reply quickly to interview invitations — a hint worth taking literally. A practical schedule: two weeks to gather transcripts and request recommendation letters, one week for test scores if yours are still valid, then submit by mid-December with a safety margin.

What This Means for You

If you are a final-year engineering, computer science, or science student anywhere from Lagos to Jakarta, this is one of the few programs anywhere that pays you a salary — not just tuition — to study at a research university with Shaheen III, one of the world's most powerful AI supercomputers, on campus. If you are a researcher weighing a PhD, KAUST's labs, its 180+ faculty, and its THE #1-in-the-Arab-region ranking make it a credible launchpad into industry research labs and postdocs in Europe and North America. And if English tests have blocked you from US or UK scholarships with nearer deadlines — like Knight-Hennessy at Stanford, which closes October 6 or Gates Cambridge with its October 14 US round — KAUST's January 3 deadline gives you three extra months, and its PhD conditional-admission language route lowers the barrier further. It also sits alongside the five fully funded UAE universities as one of the Gulf's highest-cash-value awards in the current open scholarships list for Fall 2026.

Source: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Pick your program and potential supervisors. Browse the nine academic areas on the admissions site, read faculty profiles, and shortlist two or three professors whose research matches your background.
2. Assemble the documents. Transcripts and degree certificates, an academic CV, a statement of purpose that connects your experience to KAUST research, and at least one strong academic recommendation.
3. Settle the English requirement. Book IELTS or PTE if needed, or prepare waiver evidence if your degree was in-person in one of the six exempt countries.
4. Submit by mid-December. The portal is open now and closes January 3, 2027, but complete early files get evaluated faster.
5. Watch your inbox after submitting. Interviews are typically held online, and the university explicitly says fast responses to interview invitations speed up your decision, which arrives February 14, 2027.

One habit separates accepted applicants from equally qualified rejections: responsiveness. The admissions site states plainly that decisions come faster for candidates who reply quickly — a median applicant who answers an interview email within a day routinely beats a stronger one who waits a week.

A Realistic Applicant Profile

Picture an electrical engineering graduate from a public university in Nairobi with a 3.6 GPA, a final-year project on renewable energy integration, six months of internship at a regional utility, and IELTS 7.0. That profile sits squarely inside the admitted band (75% of admits are above 3.5). She would choose the MS/PhD pathway in energy engineering, name two KAUST professors working on smart grids in her statement of purpose, and submit in mid-December. This is not a guarantee — competition is global — but it is exactly the "technical preparation plus research potential" pattern the university describes. And because KAUST does not require work experience for master's admission, the path is open straight out of a bachelor's degree.

Frequently Asked Questions About the KAUST Fellowship 2027

What is the deadline for KAUST Fall 2027 admission?

Round 2 opened on September 28, 2026 and closes on January 3, 2027. Decisions are released on February 14, 2027, and the fall semester starts on August 29, 2027. The dates are official but marked tentative, as they can shift with application volume.

How much is the KAUST stipend per year?

The stipend is $20,000 per year for master's students and $25,000–$30,000 per year for PhD students, depending on qualifications and academic progress, on top of free on-campus housing and full health insurance for students and eligible dependents.

Is KAUST open to all nationalities?

Yes. There is no nationality requirement or quota. Students from more than 120 countries study on campus, 46% of the student body is international, 37% is female, and all instruction is in English.

What are the minimum GPA and English scores?

The minimum GPA is 3.0/4.0, though most admitted students sit above 3.3–3.5. For English: IELTS 7.0 (6.5 per section), PTE 71 (67 per section), or Cambridge 185 (176 per skill), with a full waiver for in-person degrees from the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.

Can I apply without GRE scores?

Yes. The GRE (or PGAT) is fully optional at KAUST — it is not a compulsory requirement. If you do submit scores, official reports are required and remain valid for five years; omitting them does not weaken your application.

Does the fellowship cover family housing and dependents' insurance?

Yes. Free on-campus housing includes two-bedroom units for married students, and health insurance covers eligible dependents living on campus. Visa costs, initial relocation, and return travel after graduation are also covered.

Sources

• KAUST admission timelines for Fall 2027
• KAUST fees and funding — fellowship components and value
• KAUST entry requirements and English test minimums
• KAUST official news and rankings

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