Many international students choose Egypt as a study abroad destination primarily for its historically rich academic heritage and unique cultural allure. There are many reasons to study in Egypt, with its many world-ranking universities, affordable living costs, and scenery like no other. A melting pot of different cultures and ancient civilizations across time, Egypt as a country is a most interesting subject indeed.
For this article, we will be introducing some of the best scholarships in Egypt you can choose from to help fund your academic journey in this country full of ancient secrets and mysteries.
Related Scholarships
Living Costs in Egypt for International students
Egypt is generally considered an inexpensive country to live in, coming in 128th out of 139 countries in Numbeo’s 2024 Cost of Living Index charts. Rent for a standard one-bedroom apartment starts at 1,000 EGP and peaks at 5,400 EGP for most cities, while utilities cost 550 EGP per billing cycle.
Market prices are also very affordable in Egypt. Food usually hovers around 5 EGP to 20 EGP for most grocery products such as rice or eggs while poultry is usually priced at 70 EGP to 150 EGP. Likewise, transportation costs are very forgiving with one-way tickets for public transportation priced at 5 EGP and monthly passes billed at 200 EGP on average.
Can international students work in Egypt?
International students cannot work in Egypt. Egyptian study visas do not grant work rights so it’s extra important to carefully budget and/or secure other sources of funding before setting foot to study in Egypt.
Top Universities in Egypt:
Egyptian education is highly esteemed and acclaimed for its internationally competitive design. It has one of the largest education systems in the North African and Arab regions.
Universities in Egypt are also well-respected and reputed for being of top-notch quality; justified with six of them making it into the 2024 QS World University Rankings and having over 19 other representatives in the regional ranks out of all the country’s 43 universities. Among its resounding university names are:
- American University of Cairo (AUC), arguably the best university in Egypt being ranked joint 411th in the world, 11th in the Arab region, and featuring in at least three “by subject” university rankings in 2024
- Cairo University, another well-regarded Egyptian university that finds itself at the 12th seat of the Arab region’s university ranks and appears in rankings by subject eight times
- Ain Shams University, a prestigious university globally recognized for its school of medicine
- Alexandria University, and;
- Mansoura University
Best Scholarships in Egypt
1. American University of Cairo International Scholarships
The American University of Cairo boasts itself for being a crossroads of culture that fosters cross-cultural understanding and one-of-a-kind ideas, justified by the unique American-Arab synthesis of instruction the institution offers; even further by offering some of the best scholarships in Egypt for international students.
A huge part of AUC’s raison dêtre is creating a healthy and diverse learning environment of the highest caliber for its students. To help meet this goal, AUC offers a wide range of scholarships to draw in some of the most stellar students in the world and enable their academic pursuits. In fact, almost half of AUC’s student body receives scholarships, fellowships, or financial aid.
These scholarships often come in the form of tuition waivers; however, some scholarships also provide monthly stipends as well as housing, transportation, and civil service project grants.
2. Nile Basin Master & Doctoral Degree Scholarship
Alexandria University, formerly known as Farouk University, is a premier Egyptian university that envisions itself as a leader in the international academic scene. This university welcomes students from far and wide each year, opening doors opportunities for the most stellar amongst them through the many scholarships and awards they offer. The most notable (and perhaps also the most coveted) of these is the Nile Basin Master & Doctoral Degree Scholarship, which includes a full tuition fee waiver for a maximum of 3 years for master students and 5 years for doctoral students.
This scholarship in Egypt is only open to students from the Nile Basin countries.
3. AMIDEAST Need-Based Scholarship
AMIDEAST is an established, American non-profit organization devoted to developmental activities in the Arab and North African regions. To realize their goals of creating cross-cultural understanding and empowerment across the sea, AMIDEAST conducts multiple educational and training programs to enable opportunities in the Arab World. Under one of these initiatives is the AMIDEAST Need-Based Scholarship.
This scholarship is open to all American citizens participating in their ED Abroad Programs, with preference given to those who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need or are a part of a minority. Awarded scholarships are given in the form of program fee reductions amounting to $1,000 to $5,000 for semester programs and $500 to $3,000 for summer programs.
4. ICGEB Member States Research Grants
The International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) is an intergovernmental organization devoted to advancing research in biotechnology. Originally a special project initiated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the ICGEB was established with the hopes of helping create a better world through its applications in the fields of biomedicine, crop improvement. environmental protection/remediation, biopharmaceuticals, biopesticide and biofuel production. Today, the organization continues to expand and widen its reach by opening calls for grants and fellowships as part of its efforts in promoting sustainable R&D.
The ICGEB opens up research scholarship applications for researchers to conduct studies in its member states yearly. Egypt is among these countries. Successful applicants will receive an annual bursary amounting up to €25,000 for a maximum duration of 36 months.
5. CEDEJ / IFAO Common Scholarship
The Centre d’études et de documentation économiques, juridiques et sociales (CEDEJ) and Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale (IFAO) are Cairo-based French research institutes dedicated to the study of the archaeology, history, civilizations, and languages of Egypt. In order to strengthen their scientific partnership, CEDEJ and IFAO offer a “common field grant” open to students of any nationality holding a Master 2 degree equivalent and are or will be registered for a PhD by September 1 in the same year of application.
The CEDEJ / IFAO Common Scholarship, one of the best scholarships in Egypt, is intended to support doctoral research in human and social sciences pertaining to the developments of Egyptian society that require an extended stay in Egypt. Benefits of this scholarship include a round-trip flight ticket, a stipend amounting to €1,000/month, and full access to all the practical and logistical facilities of both sponsoring Institutes.
