Educational institutions and study programmes

Below, we explain what types of educational institutions and degree programmes there are in Syria. We also explain how we check whether these are recognised. We check the recognition i to make sure that the quality is sufficient. We give the necessary information per educational sector.

With regard to secondary education programmes, you have to pay special attention to the fact that a student has a recognised diploma. These are the recognised secondary education diplomas:

• Basic Education Certificate, the diploma students get after completing the basic phase (primary education + lower secondary education);
• General Secondary Education Certificate, the diploma students get after completing general upper secondary education;
• Vocational Secondary Education Certificate the diploma students get after completing vocational upper secondary education.

See Secondary education documents for a short explanation of the documents that students receive.

In Syria, students can follow higher education at:

• public universities;
• private universities; and
• higher institutes.

Public universities

Education at most public universities is free. Students can obtain a bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD. They only pay a small annual registration fee. Most Syrian students study at public universities. The University of Damascus is the oldest and largest.

The Syrian Virtual University was established in 2002 by the Ministry of Higher Education. Together with international institutions, the Syrian Virtual University provides online education only. Students at the Syrian Virtual University pay tuition fees.

In the table below, you can find an overview of recognised public universities.

Private universities

There have been private universities in Syria since 2001. These universities can only teach if they are recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education (see ‘Recognition’). Until now, private universities have only been allowed to offer bachelor's programmes. Students have to pay tuition fees. Apart from Arabic, education can also be provided in English.

In the table below, you can find an overview of recognised private universities.

Higher institutes

Higher institutes often fall under the supervision of a public university or the Ministry of Higher Education. These institutes offer various types of programmes. Students can obtain a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree. However, very few students choose to study at a higher institute. This is because the admission requirements are often more strict than those for programmes offered by public universities.

In the tables below, you can find an overview of recognised higher institutes.

Higher institutes

Higher Institutes Al-Baath University

Higher Institutes Aleppo University

Higher Institutes Damascus University

Higher Institutes Tishreen University

Higher Institute University of Hama

At the moment, Syria does not have an accreditation i system for study programmes. On our webpage about Syrian higher education, you can find information about the diplomas students can get.