New Caps on Tuition
Syria's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced new maximum fees for credit hours at private universities, priced in the new Syrian pound (SYP). The ceilings were made public on 19 October 2026 after a review of tuition and installment charges.
The decision followed discussion with the higher education committee of the People's Assembly, which submitted observations and proposals before the limits were finalized. The ministry presented the figures as binding upper bounds across the private higher education sector.
Fees by Specialty
The maximum charge per credit hour is 13,000 new Syrian pounds for human medicine, 12,000 for dentistry, 11,000 for pharmacy, and 9,000 for engineering programs. All other specializations are capped at 6,000, and institutes at 4,000.
The ministry described the amounts as upper limits that universities may not exceed, while leaving each school free to charge less. The structure allows pricing that reflects the circumstances and specialization of each institution.
Who Is Covered
The caps apply to Syrian students and those treated as equivalent under admissions rules. Students admitted through the separate system for Arab and foreign nationals fall outside the new limits and remain subject to their own arrangements.
Balancing Costs and Quality
The higher education minister said the measure seeks a balance between the financial stability of universities and the living conditions of families, while preserving the quality of instruction across the sector.
What It Means for Families
By fixing an upper bound in the new currency, the caps give households a clearer picture of tuition costs across fields of study. Human medicine remains the most expensive track, set at more than three times the ceiling for institutes.
For prospective students, the limits cap exposure to open-ended fee increases within a single framework rather than leaving charges to differ without restraint from one institution to another.