The Sultanate of Oman has a small number of public institutions (Sultan Qaboos University, the University of Technology and Applied Sciences and others) and a larger group of private universities and colleges, several in affiliation with foreign universities. Public undergraduate admission is largely organised for Omani graduates through the Higher Education Admission Centre; Sultan Qaboos University's undergraduate admission pages describe pathways for Omanis, GCC scholarship students and children of residents, while its postgraduate programmes accept international applicants with published non-Omani fees. Private universities such as Sohar University and Middle East College publish tuition and accept international applicants. The regulator named in search results is the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education (OAAAQA), but its site could not be reached to confirm a current register.
Published non-Omani costs: Sultan Qaboos University lists OMR 5,600 (non-Omani) for most master's programmes with 24 course credits plus thesis, and OMR 9,800 for PhDs (2026 schedule); UTAS lists OMR 3,600-3,900 total for international postgraduate students; Sohar University publishes whole-programme tuition of about OMR 9,088-10,110 for four-year bachelor's degrees; Middle East College publishes OMR 2,586-5,100 per year (OMR 10,343-20,400 for a 4-year programme). No official living-cost estimate was found.
The study visa is issued by the Royal Oman Police to a licensed educational institution that sponsors the foreign student: gov.om lists a fixed fee of OMR 30, the passport must be valid for at least 6 months, the visa is multi-entry, gives a stay of 1-2 years from entry and is renewable with an institution letter, and it must be used within 6 months of issue. A search summary of the Study in Oman portal adds that processing takes about 10 days after the institution completes procedures; that portal returned HTTP 500 when accessed. Foreign school certificates generally need attestation and a Ministry equivalency letter (Middle East College describes the process). No official student work-rights, post-study stay or health-insurance rule was found on the pages fetched.
As of 26 October 2026 the UK FCDO page (last updated 22 July 2026) reports that Iran has carried out strikes and retaliatory attacks across the region since 8 July, including in Oman, and that further attacks or escalation are possible, with flight and airspace disruption likely. It also says terrorist attacks in Oman cannot be ruled out. Check current advice from your own government and the university before arranging travel.
