# Private universities in Mogadishu: Indian Ocean, City, Horseed, Jobkey and more

> Mogadishu's smaller private universities: Indian Ocean University (1993), Horseed (2010), Jobkey (2011), City University (2012), Hope and others, with founding dates and programmes.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/private-universities-in-mogadishu/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## In short

After the state collapsed in 1991, private groups opened universities in Mogadishu. By 2015 about 40 for-profit universities operated in Mogadishu alone ([Times Higher Education, 2015](https://timeshighereducation.com/node/130664)). In August 2026 the federal education ministry said about 130 universities were registered in Somalia ([Dawan, 26 August 2026](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-starts-review-of-higher-education-standards)); see [Universities in Somalia](/en/society/universities-in-somalia/). The largest Mogadishu ones (Mogadishu University, SIMAD, Benadir, UNISO, Jamhuriya, Zamzam) have their own pages. This page covers smaller ones.

## Indian Ocean University (1993)

Indian Ocean University (IOU), in Somali *Jaamacadda Bedweynta Hindiya*, is described as the oldest private, non-profit accredited university in Somalia ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean_University)).

- **Founded:** a group of Somali intellectuals set it up on 3 May 1993, when the national university had closed (same source).
- **First students:** September 1993, in business administration and nursing (same source).
- **Campus:** on the airport road at KM4, about 1 km from [Aden Adde International Airport](/en/infrastructure/aden-adde-international-airport/) (same source).
- **Registration:** with the Ministry of Higher Education and Culture (same source).
- **President:** Samawade Ali-Dahir, as of 2015 (same source).

## Horseed International University (2010)

Horseed International University (HIU) is a non-profit private university in Mogadishu, founded in 2010 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseed_International_University)). It takes part in an international health education partnership led by RIT Croatia (same source).

## Jobkey University (2011)

Jobkey University (*Jaamacadda Jobkey*) began teaching at the end of 2011, after more than three years of planning by intellectuals and diaspora members ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jobkey_University)). It is chartered and approved by the federal government (same source). Wikipedia gives 1,000 to 1,999 students and an admission rate of 60% to 70% (same source). Its motto is "Success Starts Here" (same source).

## City University of Mogadishu (2012)

City University (CU) is a private, non-profit university founded in 2012 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_University_of_Mogadishu)). Its five colleges (same source):

- **Humanities and Social Sciences:** political science, public administration, law, English; an MA in international relations
- **Agriculture and Natural Resources:** agronomy, marine and fisheries science, animal science
- **Engineering and Computing:** civil engineering, computer science, cybersecurity
- **Business and Administrative Sciences:** accounting, economics; an MBA
- **Health and Human Services:** public health, social work with a mental health focus

## Hope University

Hope University (HU) was founded in Hargeisa in 2008 by Najib [Sheikh](/en/regions/sheikh/) Abdulkarim as a non-profit, cost-recovering university for health, technology and management ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_University)). It also runs a Mogadishu branch (same source).

## Others listed

Wikipedia's list of Mogadishu universities also includes Somali International University, Al-Imra International University, Daaru Salaam University, Abrar, Almaas, An-Nour, Global, Hormuud, Imam, Jazeera, Metropolitan, Mogadishu Polytechnic, Nile University of Science and Technology, Plasma, Qudus, Hano Technical University and Hansan Medical College ([Wikipedia, List of universities in Somalia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_Somalia)).

## Read more

- [Universities in Somalia](/en/society/universities-in-somalia/)
- [Somali universities one by one](/en/institutions/main-universities/)
- [Jamhuriya University](/en/institutions/jamhuriya-university/)
- [Zamzam University](/en/institutions/zamzam-university/)
- [University of Somalia (UNISO)](/en/institutions/university-of-somalia/)

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