Addis Ababa University

Key facts

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

About Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa University began as a two-year college established on 20 March 1950 at the request of Emperor Haile Selassie I and started teaching in 1951. It became the University College of Addis Ababa and a chartered college in 1954, merged with other colleges into Haile Selassie I University in 1961, and took its present name in 1975 after the 1974 revolution.^[1]

On its own website AAU lists eight colleges and schools and seven institutes. The institutes include the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, the Institute of Peace and Security Studies and the Institute of Water, Environment and Climate Research.^[5] Wikipedia gives a different grouping of eleven colleges, so the structure has changed over time; use the university’s own list when you choose a programme. Wikipedia’s text counts 13 campuses, 12 in Addis Ababa and one in Bishoftu about 45 km away, while its infobox lists 14.^[1]

How is Addis Ababa University ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the aggregator xuanxiao.org lists Addis Ababa University in the 951–1000 band.^[2] The same aggregator shows its earlier QS results as 851–900 (2024), 771–780 (2025) and 851–900 (2026).^[8] We could not read QS’s own pages, which block automated access, so treat these bands as an aggregator’s reading.

Wikipedia lists the Academic Ranking of World Universities at 601–700 (2023) and U.S. News Best Global Universities at 573 (2023).^[1] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at Addis Ababa University?

AAU offers bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes. Admission is organised for regular, extension and e-learning programmes, and applicants can enter as freshmen, with advanced standing, as mature students or as transfers.^[9] Subject areas follow the university’s colleges and schools: natural and computational sciences, business and economics, law, education and language studies, health sciences, veterinary medicine and agriculture, social sciences, arts and humanities, and technology and the built environment.^[5]

The admission pages also describe short-term certificate courses of at least 40 clock hours, postgraduate certificates (at least 30 ECTS credits) and postgraduate diplomas (at least 60 ECTS credits), as well as double, dual and joint degrees and exchange stays of a semester or a year.^[10] Programme-specific entry rules are posted on each programme’s page on the AAU website.^[9]

How much does Addis Ababa University cost for international students?

AAU publishes tuition per ECTS credit (the European credit unit; the price is multiplied by the credits you take). The tables below are the fees for non-Ethiopian students, in US dollars. The page names no academic year and its fee section was last updated on 13 August 2025, so check the current schedule before you plan.^[3]

Research fees are separate. A master’s thesis costs USD 500 (IGAD members) or USD 1,000 (other international students) per thesis, plus a thesis examination fee of USD 200 or USD 300. A PhD costs USD 1,000 or USD 1,500 per semester for research, plus a dissertation examination fee of USD 500 or USD 750.^[3] Refugees pay in Ethiopian birr at the rates Ethiopian students pay, for example ETB 700 per ECTS credit in business and economics at bachelor’s level.^[3]

Service fees such as transcripts are listed separately on the university site; we found no amount for accommodation or living costs on the AAU pages. For living costs in Ethiopia see our Ethiopia guide.

How do you apply to Addis Ababa University?

The university runs an admission portal. The rules depend on level and nationality.

• International students: AAU asks for a letter from the Ethiopian Education and Training Authority (ETA) certifying your educational documents, two copies of the documents, two passport photographs, and a letter from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or your embassy in Ethiopia stating the reason for your stay. The application fee is USD 40 for undergraduate and USD 150 for graduate programmes.^[4]
• Undergraduate: foreign nationals and non-residents must provide an ETA equivalence evaluation of their credentials and take the AAU Undergraduate Admission Test (UAT) or submit an accepted standardised test (IELTS, TOEFL, ACT, SAT or LSAT) with a passing mark. Medicine, dental medicine, pharmacy and the performing and visual arts add assessments.^[9]
• Master’s: a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 (2.75 in a relevant major) on a 4.0 scale, a passing mark in the AAU Graduate Admission Test (GAT) or an accepted standardised test, a letter of intent and two recommendation letters. Departments can add their own tests.^[11]
• PhD: a master’s degree plus the same test, letter and recommendations.^[11]

We give no deadlines because they change every year and differ by programme; check the call on the admission portal.

Which language level do you need?

The AAU pages we read do not name a language of instruction or a required English score. In Ethiopia, English is the medium of instruction in secondary schools and higher education in general.^[6] AAU accepts IELTS or TOEFL results as an alternative to its own admission tests (UAT for undergraduate, GAT for graduate) with “the corresponding passing marks”, but the pages do not give those marks.^[9][11] Ask the programme which score it expects before you book a test.

More about studying in Ethiopia

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

More university profiles in Ethiopia

• Bahir Dar University
• Hawassa University
• Jimma University
• Mekelle University