University of Algiers 1

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 9 November 2026.

About the University of Algiers 1

The university describes itself as the oldest and most distinguished university in Algeria. Medical teaching began at the Mustapha Pasha hospital in Algiers in 1833. A law of 30 December 1909 then created the University of Algiers by combining the faculties of medicine and pharmacy, sciences, letters and humanities, and law.^[1]

After independence the university kept its inherited structure while Algerians took over its administration. A 1971 reform introduced gradual Arabisation of teaching. The University of Science and Technology was created from it in 1974, and the structure was reorganised in 1984 and again in 1998 (seven faculties) and 2009.^[1] In 2009 two further universities, Algiers 2 and Algiers 3, were spun off.^[7]

How is the University of Algiers 1 ranked?

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 the university appears in the 2001+ band.^[2] The aggregator xuanxiao.org shows the same band and lists no QS 2027 position and no ARWU 2026 position.^[3]

We could not read QS’s own pages (topuniversities.com blocks automated access), so we cannot confirm that QS leaves the university out; we only report what the aggregator shows. Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Algiers 1?

Studies follow the LMD system with three cycles: a 3-year bachelor’s (licence), a 2-year master’s that ends with a dissertation defended in a public viva voce, and a 3-year PhD that ends with a thesis defended the same way.^[8]

The university’s presentation page describes a structure of seven faculties from 1998 and a further restructuring in 2009 without listing the current faculties.^[1] Its faculties page links to separate faculty websites, among them sciences, law and Islamic sciences.^[9] Check the faculty site of your subject for the current list of programmes; we could not read a complete one.

How much does the University of Algiers 1 cost for international students?

Algeria publishes one national schedule of annual training fees, in US dollars, for international students who enrol through the ministry’s “Study in Algeria” platform (“open enrollment”).^[4] The fee document is titled “Training fees for the 2025–2026 academic year”, but the page that links it is headed “Tuition Fees for the 2026–2027 Academic Year”. We found no separate 2026/27 table, so confirm the current amounts on the portal before you budget.^[10]

Amounts are per year.^[4] The table sets these rates for “universities” in general and names some higher schools separately at $3,000 to $3,500. It does not list the University of Algiers 1 on its own line, so ask the university which column applies to your programme.^[4]

Housing and living costs

For university residences the schedule lists catering at 1.20 DZD (the table gives no unit), accommodation at $15 a month, and transport at the same rate as for Algerian students. For a private three-room apartment of about 65 m² it quotes $112 to $450 a month, depending on the city, “for reference only”.^[4]

How to pay

Registration fees are paid to the Bank of Algeria through correspondent banks, with the university as beneficiary. Payment may be made after the visa is obtained; students who are exempt from visas or already hold one can pay at once. The receipt is uploaded as a PDF during the application.^[10]

The university’s website offers a section for international students and lists scholarship announcements, but the pages we read give no fee amounts of their own.^[6]

How do you apply to the University of Algiers 1?

Under Presidential Decree No. 25-83 of 20 February 2025, international students may enrol if the host institution admits them on the basis of the available places and they pay the required tuition.^[11] Applications run through the ministry’s Study in Algeria portal: you choose a programme and university, upload your documents, the ministry checks them administratively, and the universities you chose review them academically. Registration at the host university follows once the regulatory steps are done.^[12]

• Bachelor’s: high-school diploma and transcript with certified translations, proof of nationality, the first page of a valid passport, a motivation letter, at least one recommendation letter, a medical certificate stating you are free of bacterial or contagious disease, and a recent photo.^[11]
• Master’s: the high-school and bachelor’s diplomas and transcripts with certified translations, plus the common items above.^[11]
• PhD: diplomas and transcripts from every earlier level (including engineering, architecture, medical or veterinary degrees where relevant) with certified translations, the common items, and a copy of your master’s thesis or internship report.^[11]

The ministry authenticates your diplomas and checks your transcripts. Its Equivalence Department then issues two documents: a certificate that places your degree in the Algerian classification, and a document that converts your grades to the Algerian grading grid.^[11]

We give no dates here because the application window changes every year. Read the current window on the portal and in the programme’s own notice before you start.^[12]

Which language do you need?

Algerian universities teach in Arabic, French and English, and the language depends on the field and specialisation. Students who do not master the language of instruction follow an intensive course at the Intensive Language Teaching Centres (CEIL) attached to their institution.^[5]

The national pages name no language tests and no minimum scores. Ask the University of Algiers 1 which language your programme uses and what level it expects before you apply.^[5]

The university’s website is available in Arabic, French and English and mentions a language training centre, but it does not state which language each programme uses.^[6]

More about studying in Algeria

• Algeria: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Algeria

• University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (USTHB)
• University of Constantine 1 Frères Mentouri
• University of Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella
• Abou Bekr Belkaid University of Tlemcen