The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) is a private, not-for-profit university. It was chartered in 2004 and opened in Kabul in 2006 with 50 students.[1] Since 2021 it has not been taught on its Kabul campus: Wikipedia reports an interim campus at Education City in Doha, Qatar, where in-person teaching began in 2022, alongside online courses for students in Afghanistan.[1]
The university’s accreditation page names ACBSP accreditation for its Bachelor of Business Administration programmes in Finance and Management and its MBA, and a Bard College dual Associate in Arts.[2] We could not confirm a QS World University Rankings 2027 placement, and the AUAF pages we could read publish no tuition amounts.[3][4]
Key facts
| Official name | American University of Afghanistan (AUAF)[5] |
| Location now | Interim campus at Education City, Doha, Qatar; in-person teaching began there in 2022[1] |
| Former campus | Darulaman area of Kabul, Afghanistan[1] |
| Type | Private, not-for-profit higher education institution[1] |
| Founded | Chartered in 2004; opened in 2006 with 50 students (uniRank also gives 2006)[1] |
| Students | About 1,700 full- and part-time students by 2019; after 2021 about 184 on site in Doha and about 700 online from Afghanistan (Wikipedia, figures without a precise date)[1] |
| Programmes (Wikipedia) | MBA, four undergraduate degrees, a pre-college Academy and the Professional Development Institute; MA in Education launched in 2014[1] |
| Programme areas in Doha (December 2021 report) | Business, law, social science and humanities, information technology[6] |
| Accreditation (ACBSP) | BBA in Finance, BBA in Management and MBA[2] |
| Dual degree | Bard College Associate in Arts alongside the AUAF associate degree; institutional credential from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education[2] |
| Afghan recognition | uniRank: recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education, first in 2018. Wikipedia: Afghan accreditation lost after 2021[7] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Not confirmed[3] |
| Tuition | Not published on the pages read; the “Tuition & Scholarships” page shows no amounts[4] |
| Official website | auaf.edu.af |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 9 November 2026.
About the American University of Afghanistan
AUAF was chartered in 2004 and opened in 2006 with 50 students in the Darulaman area of Kabul. Wikipedia describes it as Afghanistan’s only private, not-for-profit institution of higher education and says it grew to about 1,700 full- and part-time students by 2019.[1] The university describes its mission as offering a liberal arts education to Afghanistan’s emerging leaders, women and men.[5]
After the events of August 2021, many students moved abroad and studied online. A report of 23 December 2021 describes a two-year agreement between Qatar Foundation, the Qatar Fund for Development and AUAF to continue the studies of AUAF students, faculty and staff in Doha, financed entirely by the Qatar Fund for Development, with housing and classrooms at Education City and blended learning, partly online and partly in person; AUAF continues as an independent entity.[6] Wikipedia reports that in-person teaching in Doha began in 2022, that a 2025 agreement extended the arrangement, and that Qatar and the US government provide funding.[1]
How is the American University of Afghanistan ranked?
QS 2027: we could not confirm a placement in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (published 18 June 2026). The 1,001–1,200 band page of the aggregator xuanxiao.org lists no Afghan institution and its country filter does not list Afghanistan. QS itself blocks automated access, so we could not check the full table.[3]
Times Higher Education: THE’s Afghanistan country page lists AUAF among 21 Afghan institutions without a position and says no Afghan university is in the overall World University Rankings.[8]
The 2026 uniRank ranking of Afghan universities does not list AUAF.[9] How we compile rankings.
What can you study at AUAF?
The accreditation page names these programmes:[2]
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and in Management (accredited by ACBSP, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs)
- Master of Business Administration (ACBSP)
- An AUAF Associate Degree together with a Bard College Associate in Arts; the Bard credential comes through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
The December 2021 report lists business, law, social science and humanities and information technology as the university’s programmes.[6] Wikipedia lists an MBA, four undergraduate degrees, a pre-college Academy and a Professional Development Institute.[1] uniRank names departments for business, English and humanities, IT and computer science, science and mathematics, political science and public administration, and law.[7] The website’s Admissions menu mentions a Spring MBA.[5] We could not confirm which programmes are currently open for admission.
Is AUAF accredited?
The ACBSP accredits the business programmes named above; the page gives no date.[2] uniRank records recognition by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education, first granted in 2018.[7] Wikipedia says the university lost its Afghan accreditation after 2021.[1] Before enrolling, ask AUAF which accreditation and degree recognition applies to your programme and your intended use of the degree.
How much does AUAF cost?
We could not confirm any current tuition fee. The “Tuition & Scholarships” page of AUAF shows no amounts in the version we read; it invites partners to fund student scholarships.[4] uniRank marks tuition as “not reported”.[7] Ask the university for current fees and scholarships.
How do you apply to AUAF?
The AUAF pages we read describe the Admissions section only by its menu: it includes a Spring MBA page and a Tuition page, and the admissions text itself was not available to us.[5] We therefore give no requirements and no deadlines. Use the official AUAF admissions page for the current procedure.
Which language do you need?
The pages we read do not state the language of instruction or an English test requirement. Check the admissions page of the programme you apply to.[5]
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the American University of Afghanistan located now?
Wikipedia reports an interim campus at Education City in Doha, Qatar, with in-person teaching since 2022, plus online courses for students in Afghanistan.[1]
When was AUAF founded?
It was chartered in 2004 and opened in 2006 with 50 students.[1]
Is AUAF accredited?
How much does AUAF cost?
We found no published tuition amounts. The tuition page we read shows none.[4]
Is AUAF in the QS rankings?
We could not confirm a placement in QS 2027.[3]
More about studying in Afghanistan
- Afghanistan: best universities
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Afghanistan
Sources
[1] Wikipedia: American University of Afghanistan (secondary source for history and current status; edit date not visible in the version read)
[2] American University of Afghanistan: Accreditation (page without a date)
[3] xuanxiao.org: QS World University Rankings 2027, page 22 (QS itself blocks automated access) (QS 2027 edition, published 18 Jun 2026; only the 1,001–1,200 band page was read)
[4] American University of Afghanistan: Tuition & Scholarships (page without a date; no amounts shown)
[5] American University of Afghanistan: official website (page without a date; navigation and mission statement only)
[6] The Peninsula (Qatar): American University of Afghanistan students to continue education in Qatar (published 23 Dec 2021)
[7] uniRank: American University of Afghanistan (page without a date; third-party directory, lists Kabul as location)
[8] Times Higher Education: Study in Afghanistan (page without a date)
[9] uniRank: Afghan University Ranking 2026 (2026 edition; no publication date given)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.