Planning tool
Choose M.S. or Ph.D.
Official amounts from Fees & Funding and the Student Onboarding FAQ. This is a planning tool, not an official KAUST decision. Offer-letter terms win.
Living stipend
Tuition & bench
Up to $35,000 / yr
Covered. Not cash to you. Source: Fees & Funding.
Housing
Base included
Shared for single students; 2-bed for married. Upgrades extra. Source: Fees & Funding.
Health
Campus dependents
Students and eligible dependents living on campus. Onboarding: Bupa from arrival day.
Monthly stipend (annual ÷ 12): . Official onboarding table lists M.S. $1,667 / SAR 6,250; Ph.D. $2,083 / SAR 7,812 below 30 credits; $2,500 / SAR 9,375 above 30 credits.
Typical spend: about $1,320 a month (official FAQ). The stipend is meant to more than cover that average. Housing at the entitled level is already included.
Sources: admissions.kaust.edu.sa/fees-funding and official Student Onboarding FAQ. Planning tool only.
Core package
What Fees & Funding lists
Tuition and bench fees
Up to $35,000 / yr
Full coverage of tuition and bench fees. This is the academic cost KAUST assigns to the year, not a cash payment to you.
Stipend
$20k / $25–30k
M.S.: $20,000 a year. Ph.D.: $25,000 to $30,000 depending on qualifications and academic progress.
Base accommodation
Included
Shared for single students; 2-bed for married. Eligible upgrades cost extra. Onboarding: no charge at the entitled level; utilities included.
Health insurance
Campus dependents
Students and eligible dependents living on campus. Onboarding: Bupa from the day you arrive; certificate in the first week.
Relocation
First arrival + graduation return
Visa, relocation, and travel for the initial move to KAUST and the return home at graduation only. Mid-degree extra trips home are not this benefit. KAUST books the inbound flight (Kanoo); you do not self-ticket. Home-to-airport transfer in your country is on you. Travel insurance to the Kingdom can be claimed with visa expenses after arrival.
Monthly cash
Onboarding stipend table
Official Student Onboarding FAQ (not a blog conversion). Paid to a Saudi bank account only after you have an Iqama and update the student portal. First payment: by the 10th of the month after arrival, prorated. Usual cycle: the 25th.
| Class | USD / month | SAR / month | USD / year (Fees page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. (12 credits) | $1,667 | SAR 6,250 | $20,000 |
| Ph.D. (< 30 credits) | $2,083 | SAR 7,812 | $25,000 |
| Ph.D. (above 30 credits) | $2,500 | SAR 9,375 | $30,000 |
Official FAQ: students spend about $1,320 a month on average, which the stipend is meant to more than cover. Campus is a closed community — groceries, food courts, and recreation are on site, but upgrades, family extras, and travel home are not free.
Other official cash
Deposit, visa help, travel allowance
- Security deposit. SAR 1,000 deducted for the first four months (SAR 4,000). Returned after exit clearance; used for damage, library fines, traffic violations, unpaid bills.
- Visa cost assistance. Paid with the first stipend for onboarding visa expenses. English-test fees are not covered.
- Annual travel assistance. Separate from the one-time relocation flights. M.S.: once in the programme. Ph.D.: annually. Based on KAUST rates Jeddah–home capital; partial, not a full ticket. Must have been on campus at least 180 days. Details emailed in March. Applies to Saudi students on the same timeline.
Who does not get this
Sponsorship and extras
There is no separate Fellowship application. All admitted students receive it except partnership or externally sponsored cases. If another university, company, or sponsor pays tuition, relocation, or living costs, you will not stack the KAUST Fellowship on top. Small extras (conference travel, a computer grant) are usually compatible — declare them when confirmed. Partnership admits may see different benefits in the offer letter.
You cannot take the stipend into a foreign bank. You cannot book your own inbound flight and claim it as the relocation ticket. Housing upgrades and some family-unit choices are extra fees. Pets are not allowed, so there is no pet-deposit conversation to have.
Last updated 21 Sep 2026. Primary: Fees & Funding.