Egypt is accelerating the diversification of its higher education system to absorb the growing number of students and better align training with the job market, but the increasing number of fee-paying programmes is creating a growing risk of inequality based on family resources.
The Egyptian university landscape is undergoing rapid transformation.
With nearly 100 universities, the country is developing, alongside traditional public institutions, private non-profit universities, known as “Ahliya,” technological institutions, credit-bearing programmes and partnerships with foreign institutions.
This restructuring is part of the national strategy for higher education and scientific research launched in 2023 and the objectives of Vision Egypt 2030.
The stated ambition is to build “new generation” universities, more focused on innovation, research and the needs of businesses.
Egypt had approximately 32 Ahliya universities during the 2025-2026 academic year.
For Meawad El Kholy, president of New Mansoura University, these institutions must, in particular, strengthen the links between teaching, scientific research, innovation and service to society.
They are also developing international partnerships and dual degree programmes that can improve students’ employability.
But behind this modernisation lies an increasingly sensitive financial issue. Annual fees at Ahliya universities start at around 55,000 Egyptian pounds for some programmes and can reach 165,000 pounds for medicine, or approximately €950 to €2,850. Even though these amounts are lower than the fees of some private universities, they introduce an economic selection process that is difficult to separate from families’ purchasing power.
The line between free and fee-paying education is becoming increasingly blurred as public universities themselves develop credit-based programmes that students are charged for.
The constitutional principle of free education is not formally challenged, but it now coexists with a system in which access to certain courses, specialisations, or training conditions depends more on financial means.
Bothaina Abdel-Raouf, an expert in education systems, describes a system where free education, fee-paying courses, and Ahliya universities operate in parallel.
This diversification also raises a quality challenge. Credit-based programmes offer greater flexibility and, in particular, prevent failing a subject from automatically leading to repeating an entire year.
However, Yomna Safwat, dean of the Al-Alsun Faculty at Ain Shams University, emphasizes that this model requires strong academic support to prevent the proliferation of choices from disorienting students.
The rapid expansion of institutions and international partnerships also raises the question of maintaining common academic standards.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/gik/APA