As of January 2026, there are eleven universities and 53 colleges in Israel, which are recognized and academically supervised by the Council for Higher Education in Israel. As many course offerings are varied, Israeli universities are considered to be of top quality, and they are inexpensive to attend. Israel's quality university education is largely responsible for spurring the country's high tech boom and rapid economic development.

The primary differentiator between a 'university' and a 'college' in Israel is that only a university can confer doctorate degrees, and therefore tends to be more research-oriented than the more teaching-oriented colleges.

Universities Israel's universities are listed below, followed by their English acronym, establishment date, location, latest data about the number of students and the institute's academic rank of the top world universities, according to WebOMetrics (top 3000), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) (top 500) and The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) (top 200), Academic Ranking of World Universities also known as the Shanghai Ranking (ARWU):

Institute Est. Date Type Location Students World Academic Rank (WebOMetrics, SJTU, THES, ARWU)Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (IIT)1912 Public Haifa 15,000 (2024) 101–150, 102–150, 301–350, 79Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI)1918 Public Jerusalem 23,500 (2023) 131, 59, 178, 86Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS)1934 Public Rehovot 2,500 (2012) 346, 102–150, N/A, 68Bar-Ilan University (BIU)1952 Public Ramat Gan 27,400 (2024) 570, 305–401, N/A, 401-500Tel Aviv University (TAU)1958 Public Tel Aviv-Yafo 30,000 (2024) 266, 102–150, 201–250, 201-300University of Haifa (HU)1963 Public Haifa 18,000 (2024) 510, 401–500, N/A, 601-700Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU)1969 Public Be'er Sheva 19,000 (2010) 448, 203–304, N/A, 501-600Open University of Israel (OPENU)1974 Public Ra'anana 48,000 (2014) 1893, N/A, N/AAriel University1 (AU)1982 Public Ariel 14,000 (2012) N/A, N/A, N/A, N/AReichman University (RU)2021 Private Herzliya 8,000 (2021) N/AKiryat Shmona University (UKS)2026 Public Kiryat Shmona 3,545 (2020) N/A

Most universities offer the full range of graduate and undergraduate degrees: Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees, and doctorates. However, the Weizmann Institute does not grant bachelor's degrees.

Colleges

Other institutes of higher education that are accredited by CHEI to confer a bachelor's (and in some cases a master's) degree are known as colleges ( Mikhlala; pl. Mikhlalot). There are also over twenty teacher training colleges, most of which will award only the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.). Colleges:Academic and Regional Colleges Israel Science and Technology College of Law and Business, Ramat Gan Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo Afeka College of Engineering, Tel Aviv Ashkelon Academic College Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem Carmel Academic Center, Haifa (Closed) Center for Academic Studies, Or Yehuda College of Management Academic Studies (COMAS), Rishon LeZion Dan Academic Center, Petah Tikva Kfar-Avraham Technology College, Petah Tikva (Closed) high tech College of tel aviv (H-college) Holon Institute of Technology Torah Olamit: Israeli Virtual College of Noedical Studies, Jerusalem Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance Jerusalem College of Engineering Jerusalem College of Technology Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College Kinneret Academic College Lander Institute, Jerusalem Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel Mivhar College, Bnei Brak Neri Bloomfeld School of Design and Education, Haifa Netanya Academic College Netanya Academic College of Law Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono ORT Braude College of Engineering, Karmiel Peres Academic Center, Rehovot Ruppin Academic Center Sapir Academic College Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, Beersheba and Ashdod Sha'arei Mishpat College, Hod HaSharon Shalem College, Jerusalem Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Ramat Gan Tel-Hai Academic College Western Galilee College, Acre Yehuda Regional College, Kiryat Arba1 Zefat Academic College, SafedThe teacher training colleges include:Teacher Training Colleges Israel Science and Technology Ahva Academic College, Ahva Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education, Baqa al-Gharbiyye Arab College for Education, Haifa Beit Berl College, Kfar Saba College of Technology Education, Tel Aviv David Yellin College of Education, Jerusalem Efrata College of Education, Jerusalem Emuna College of Education, Jerusalem Givat Washington College of Education, Givat Washington Gordon College of Education, Haifa Hemdat College of Education, Netivot Herzog College, Alon Shvut1 Jerusalem Michlala, Jerusalem Kaye Academic College of Education, Beersheba Kibbutzim College, Tel Aviv Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, Tel Aviv Lifshitz College of Education, Jerusalem MOFET Institute, Consortium of Colleges of Education Moreshet Yaakov Religious College of Education, Rehovot Ohalo College, Katzrin (Golan Heights)1 Oranim Academic College, Kiryat Tivon Ort College for Teachers of Technology, Tel Aviv Shaanan Religious College of Education, Haifa Talpiot College of Education, Tel Aviv WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education, Haifa 1Located in the Israeli occupied territories

Non-degree post-secondary education schools The Ministry of Education has also certified certain institutions to award Professional Certificates instead of academic degrees. These include certificates in technology and in the performing arts. Beersheba Tehni School combines secondary military preparation with post-secondary practical engineer certification to qualify engineers for service in the Israel Air Force Beit Zvi School of the Performing Arts, Ramat Gan Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Jerusalem

Non-Israeli certified Colleges Several colleges – primarily religious institutions – operate in Israel that are not certified by the CHEI, but rather are accredited by international bodies outside of Israel.

Bethlehem Bible College includes a campus within Israel at Nazareth, as well as two campuses in the Palestinian Authority at Bethlehem and Gaza, accredited by Asia Theological Association and Middle East Association of Theological Education Israel College of the Bible, Netanya Jerusalem University College Nazareth Evangelical College Reidman College, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba, Eilat, Kinneret, and Misgav, offers alternative medicine certificates not recognized by the Ministry of Education, and offers a BA degree in Chinese Medicine through Zhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityFAQ (in Hebrew), accessed 2020-03-18

Foreign university campuses The following foreign colleges and universities maintain international branch campuses in Israel:

Brigham Young University – the BYU Jerusalem Center Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Hillsong College, in conjunction with Hillsong Church IsraelStudy in Israel with Hillsong College accessed 2020-03-18 NYU, which enrolls the largest number of Jewish students of any public or private university in the United States, and is ranked in the top 34 globally in all major publications of university rankings, has a campus in Tel Aviv. Touro University offers courses in Jerusalem, but a degree must be completed in New YorkAbout Us | Touro College in Israel accessed 2020-03-18 University of Indianapolis Yeshiva University

See also Education in Israel Mechina National Institute for Testing and Evaluation

References

External links

The Council for Higher Education in Israel Study in Israel