Key takeaways
- The first condition is that the major is on your track’s list for the application year and the university is on the program’s list.
- Arruaad accepts all majors at the top 30 institutions; Emdad covers 8 fields at the top 200; the R&D track covers 5 fields for doctoral study.
- The 2026–2027 guide ranks universities by field: the University of Sydney sits ahead of UNSW on the ICT list despite a lower overall rank.
- Jobs and Skills Australia found 29% of occupations in shortage in 2025, concentrated in health, education and construction.
- UNSW international tuition runs about A$20,000–45,000 a year, and the student visa charge is A$2,500 from 1 July 2026.
- Apply to more than one university; the program allows three applications and accepts one on competitive ranking.
In this article
Choosing a major and a university in Australia starts with three lists, not one: what the Saudi scholarship program requires for your track, what the labour market in Saudi Arabia and Australia is asking for, and where the university ranks in your field rather than overall. Cost and city come after that. Here is the method, step by step, with figures from the Ministry of Education and Australian government sources.
Which majors are in demand for a Saudi scholarship today?
What the King Salman Scholarship Program sets
The first condition comes before any ranking: the major must be "within the specialisations designated for the application year" under each track’s rules, and the offer must come from an institution on the program’s list (Ministry of Education – General conditions, as at September 2026). The tracks differ in how wide that list is:
- Arruaad track (مسار الرواد): the world’s top 30 institutions, bachelor’s and master’s, and "all specialisations", humanities and sciences included (Ministry of Education – Arruaad, last updated 18 March 2025).
- Emdad track (مسار إمداد): the world’s top 200 universities and institutes, bachelor’s and master’s, in 8 designated fields (Ministry of Education – Emdad, last updated 27 April 2025).
- Research and Development track: doctoral study at the top 200 institutions by field, in 5 priority fields (Ministry of Education – R&D track, last updated 17 July 2025).
The program’s guide for the 2026–2027 academic year names the eight Emdad fields: business, administration and law; engineering, manufacturing and construction; arts and humanities; natural sciences, mathematics and statistics; agriculture and veterinary; social sciences and media; information and communication technologies; and services. Under each field sit specific majors such as artificial intelligence, data science, information security, software engineering and biomedical engineering (Ministry of Education – Guide 2026–2027). The guide itself warns that the program name may differ from the university’s wording, so match the course description, not just the title.
For the full conditions and university list of the top track see Arruaad track: conditions, majors and universities, and for a comparison of every track see the guide to Saudi scholarship programs.
What the Australian labour market is asking for
Jobs and Skills Australia’s Occupation Shortage List shows 29% of occupations in shortage in 2025, down from 36% in 2023 and 33% in 2024, with shortages concentrated in health, education and construction, and employers reporting employability-skills gaps among engineering, science and management graduates even when qualified (Jobs and Skills Australia, October 2025). The practical reading: a major in demand in Australia opens up work placements while you study, but demand in Saudi Arabia decides your job after you return, so start from the Ministry’s list.
KD published a summary of cyber security, its fields and the universities offering a master’s in it in June 2018 (KD on X, 13 June 2018); the major still appears under the ICT field in the 2026–2027 guide as "information security".
Should you choose by overall ranking or by subject ranking?
By subject ranking. The program itself orders universities "by field", so a university can be on the engineering list and absent from the business list. Compare the overall rank with the field rank in the guide:
| University | QS World University Rankings 2027 (overall) | Rank on the Emdad engineering, manufacturing and construction list | Rank on the Emdad ICT list |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNSW Sydney | 19 | 16 | 33 |
| University of Melbourne | 22 | not shown on the pages read | 40 |
| University of Sydney | 28 | 26 | 24 |
| Monash University | 31 | 23 | 26 |
| University of Queensland | 40 | 24 | not shown on the pages read |
Overall ranks are from ABC (ABC News – QS 2027, 18 June 2026); field ranks are from the Ministry’s guide 2026–2027. Note that the University of Sydney sits ahead of UNSW on the ICT list despite trailing it overall; that is the difference that should decide your choice.
QS rankings by subject
The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 place Monash second in the world for pharmacy, UTS highest in Australia for nursing, and Melbourne in the global top 20 for medicine, veterinary science and psychology, while Australia’s entries in data science and AI grew from 7 to 13 (Study Australia – QS Subject Rankings 2026, 7 April 2026). Use this ranking to decide between two universities that are both on the Ministry’s list.
KD posted in July 2023 that "the higher the university’s ranking, the greater your chance" of a scholarship place (KD on X, 24 July 2023); this refers to the university’s position inside your track’s list, because the Ministry accepts only one application per candidate "based on the competitive results" (Ministry of Education – Arruaad).
How do you balance ranking, cost and city?
Cost
International tuition at UNSW, for example, ranges from roughly A$20,000 to A$45,000 a year depending on the program (UNSW – Cost of studying, as at September 2026); the student visa requires evidence of A$29,710 a year in living funds for a single student since 10 May 2024 (Study Australia – How to apply for your visa); and the student visa application charge is A$2,500 from 1 July 2026 (Study Australia, 3 July 2026). A scholarship covers tuition and allowances, but the gap between universities matters to self-funded students and to anyone planning to bring dependants.
City
The Ministry’s Australia page lists 22 universities spread across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and smaller cities such as Wollongong and Armidale (Ministry of Education – Australia, as at September 2026). A smaller city usually means lower rent and a shorter trip to campus; a big city means a larger Saudi student club and more placement opportunities. Decide the city after the major, not before.
Steps to choose your major and university
- Fix the degree (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD) and the scholarship track whose conditions fit you; note that bachelor’s applicants must be 30 or under except in the Arruaad track (Ministry of Education – Conditions).
- Open the 2026–2027 guide, pick the field and then the exact major, and record its English name as written.
- Shortlist 5–8 universities from the field list in your track, not from the overall ranking.
- Match the course description on the university website to the listed major, and check English requirements and application dates.
- Cost the full package if you are self-funded or bringing family.
- Apply to more than one university; the program allows a maximum of three applications (Ministry of Education – Conditions), and the most recent application window on the Qabul platform ran from 29 January to 7 May 2026 (Saudi Press Agency, 27 January 2026); watch the program site for the next round.
- Secure a final unconditional offer before lodging in Safeer; every track requires it.
KD helps you choose a major and university from the Ministry’s lists and obtain the offer. Start with the application form, read how the process works, then contact us with your shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
Start from your track’s list of majors in the Ministry’s guide for the application year, pick the exact major and record its English name. Then shortlist universities from that field’s list, not from the overall ranking.
There is no official ‘best’ list. The Ministry sets fields per track; Emdad includes engineering, ICT, natural sciences and business among its eight. In Australia, 2025 shortages are concentrated in health, education and construction according to Jobs and Skills Australia.
No. The program ranks universities by field in an annual guide, so a university can be on the engineering list but not on the business list. Check your field’s list in your track.
Arruaad accepts all majors but only at the world’s top 30 institutions. Emdad accepts eight designated fields at the top 200 universities, which is the wider list for Australian universities.
UNSW international tuition ranges from roughly A$20,000 to A$45,000 a year, the visa requires evidence of A$29,710 a year for living costs, and the application charge is A$2,500 from 1 July 2026.
A maximum of three under the general conditions, with one accepted on competitive ranking. The most recent window on the Qabul platform ran from 29 January to 7 May 2026.
Official sources
- الشروط العامة للتقديم والابتعاث — وزارة التعليم – برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث
- مسار الرواد — وزارة التعليم
- مسار إمداد — وزارة التعليم
- مسار البحث والتطوير — وزارة التعليم
- الدليل الاسترشادي لقوائم الجامعات حسب المجالات للعام الأكاديمي 2026–2027 — وزارة التعليم
- أستراليا – قائمة جامعات الابتعاث — وزارة التعليم
- وزارة التعليم تعلن بدء التقديم على برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث — وكالة الأنباء السعودية
- Shortages ease but gaps persist in 2025 Occupation Shortage List — Jobs and Skills Australia
- QS Rankings by Subject 2026 released — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- UNSW top performer in QS World University Rankings 2027 — ABC News
- Cost of studying in Australia for international students — UNSW Sydney
- Student Visa Application Charge increase — Study Australia (Australian Government)
Ready to start?
KD International helps you choose a university, prepare your admission and visa file, and answers your questions about Saudi scholarships and studying in Australia. Apply now or message us on WhatsApp.
Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
