University of Tehran

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.

About the University of Tehran

The University of Tehran traces its roots to the Dar ul-Funun school of 1851 and was officially ratified by the Iranian parliament in 1934.^[1] A longer account describes how the idea was first raised in 1931, the cabinet approved a budget in January 1933 and the university opened in 1934 with faculties of medicine, agriculture, fine arts and architecture, and law and political science. In 1986 the College of Medicine became a separate institution, the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.^[8]

According to the university’s own figures, it has 12 colleges, 54 faculties and schools, 254 departments, 48 research centres and 550 laboratories. It runs 10 campuses in Tehran, Karaj, Qom, Pakdasht, Kish, Jolfa, Qeshm, Arvand, Fouman and Rezvanshar, and offers dormitory capacity of about 12,000 in Tehran.^[1] In 2024 it had 2,332 faculty members and 3,529 staff.^[1]

How is the University of Tehran ranked?

Tehran Times reports that in the QS World University Rankings 2027 the University of Tehran is ranked 367th, ahead of Sharif University of Technology (390th), Amirkabir University of Technology (483rd) and Isfahan University of Technology (620th). The article, dated 27 June 2026, counts 11 Iranian universities in the edition but names only eight.^[2] QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access, so we could not check the number there. The Wikipedia article lists a position of 322 for the 2026 edition.^[6]

The university’s facts page also lists subject results from other rankings: in 2024 it was in the 201–250 band for Education and Engineering in the THE subject tables, and in the ShanghaiRanking subject tables it placed between 51–75 (Mining and Mineral Engineering, Water Resources) and 301–400 (Management).^[1] 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 Tehran?

In 2024 the university enrolled students at bachelor’s (19,559), master’s (23,109), PhD (11,799) and professional doctorate (716) level.^[1] Fee categories on the tuition page show the main groups of subjects: humanities, social and behavioural sciences; Persian language and literature; and arts, engineering, basic sciences, agriculture and veterinary medicine.^[3]

Most teaching is in Persian. The international admissions site lists a short set of programmes taught in English (page updated 18 February 2026, and the page notes that the catalogue may be longer):^[5]

• Master’s: Civil Engineering (MSc, Water Resources Engineering and Management); Iranian Studies (MA, Kish International Campus); Middle East Studies (MA, Faculty of Law and Political Science); Iranian Studies (MA, Faculty of World Studies).
• PhD: International PhD programmes at the UT-Kish International Campus; Biochemistry, Biophysics and Bioinformatics (limited scholarships); Iranian Studies (Faculty of World Studies).

How much does the University of Tehran cost for international students?

The University of Tehran publishes tuition for international students per semester in euros. The table below applies to international students without an Iranian residence permit and to non-Afghan students. The page was updated on 2 November 2026 and does not name an academic year.^[3]

Tuition is paid in euros and does not include accommodation, food or insurance. The university may change its tuition fees without prior notice. Tuition for Afghan students equals that of the university’s self-governing campuses, which have their own schedule published as a separate PDF. Scholarship terms are on a separate page of the university for international students, which we have not read.^[3]

Registration also requires a receipt for the first semester’s tuition.^[7] For the Persian course that most applicants need, see the language section below.

How do you apply to the University of Tehran?

Only non-Iranian citizens can apply through the international route. The admission requirements page (updated 22 January 2024) states that dual nationals holding Iranian citizenship are barred under rules of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT).^[4]

• Eligibility: a foreign high-school certificate for bachelor’s and veterinary doctorate programmes, a bachelor’s degree for master’s, a master’s degree for the specialised doctorate, and a minimum grade of 14/20 or 70/100 for all levels. Applicants still completing their degree must present it before final registration.^[4]
• Documents: a tracking code from the Non-Iranian Student Affairs Organization (SAORG), the online application, previous degrees, a valid passport or residence card and a photo; doctoral applicants add a CV. Foreign degrees must be approved by Iran’s representative office or by the applicant’s embassy in Iran, and non-English documents need an official Persian or English translation.^[4]
• Application: for bachelor’s and master’s, applicants confirm that they meet the conditions and email the application and documents to the Office of International Students, which handles the admission steps before the MSRT’s final admission process. The doctorate process page describes the same email route.^[7][9]
• Registration: the student needs an unrestricted educational licence from the Ministry’s system, a student visa (type E), a photo, the first-semester tuition receipt, original diplomas and identity documents, and a Persian proficiency certificate for courses taught in Persian unless exempt. Registration is in person at the Office of International Students.^[7]

On the date we checked, the admissions homepage carried a notice that the admission process for the Fall Semester had concluded and that a list of programmes with free places would follow. The page gives the contact email int.admissions@ut.ac.ir and the phone number +98 21 66963664.^[9] We give no deadlines here because they change every year; the Office of International Students publishes the current ones.

Which language level do you need?

The admission requirements page says all instruction is in Persian. Applicants without a good command of Persian must complete at least six months of Persian classes at the International Center for Persian Studies. No other language test is specified.^[4]

The admission process page describes a slightly different route: you need no Persian certificate if you were born in a Persian-speaking country with Persian as your native language, or if your previous degree was taught in Persian. Everyone else is sent to the Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute after registration to have their level assessed and to complete a Persian course. That course counts as study leave for the semester and is not counted in academic years; it can extend into the second semester if you do not pass.^[7] Because the two pages differ, ask the Office of International Students which rule applies to your case. The English-taught programmes listed in the programmes section are the exception to the Persian rule.^[5]

More about studying in Iran

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

More university profiles in Iran

• Amirkabir University of Technology
• Isfahan University of Technology
• Sharif University of Technology
• Tarbiat Modares University