# Universities in Somalia: the national university, private universities and how to choose

> Universities in Somalia: the Somali National University story, the rise of private universities, how quality is checked, and how to choose where to study.

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

## How many universities?

About **130 universities are registered** in Somalia, Permanent Secretary Hassan Mohamed Ali said in August 2026 ([Dawan, 26 August 2026](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-starts-review-of-higher-education-standards)). Registered is not the same as checked for quality. The ranking site uniRank lists 35 institutions that meet its own criteria ([uniRank: Somalia](https://www.unirank.org/so/)).

## The Somali National University (SNU)

The national university is the oldest. Its own history gives these milestones ([Somali National University, history](https://snu.edu.so/about/history/)):

- **1950:** a Higher Institute of Politics and Administration opens under the UN trusteeship.
- **1956:** a Higher Institute of Economics, Law and Social Sciences follows.
- **1969:** it becomes the national university, with law and economics faculties.
- **1971 to 1984:** faculties of agriculture, education, medicine, engineering, geology, veterinary science, Islamic studies, languages, journalism and political science are added.
- **1991:** the state collapses and the university closes for more than two decades.
- **16 August 2014:** it officially reopens, after the Cabinet approved it on 26 November 2013.

Today SNU teaches law, medicine, engineering, education, agriculture, sharia, languages, economics and veterinary science, among others ([SNU](https://snu.edu.so/about/history/)).

## The private universities

After 1991, Somalis built their own universities without a state. Mogadishu University and Amoud University in Borama opened in 1999 ([Education in Somalia, State University reference](https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1381/Somalia-HIGHER-EDUCATION.html)). SIMAD began in Mogadishu in 1999 as the Somali Institute of Management and Administration Development and became a full university in 2011 ([SIMAD University, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIMAD_University)).

By 2015, about 40 for-profit universities operated in Mogadishu alone ([Chris Havergal, Times Higher Education, 2015](https://timeshighereducation.com/node/130664)). The same report found that few lecturers at many of them held a master's degree or PhD. Many taught in English without teaching English first.

Other well-known universities include the University of Hargeisa, Benadir University and City University in Mogadishu ([uniRank](https://www.unirank.org/so/)).

## Who checks quality

The **National Higher Education Commission** has drafted national standards with up to 200 criteria. Universities will assess themselves, inspectors will visit, and the results will be published. Its chairman, Mahmoud Ahmed Jimale, said: "What is included in the self-evaluation will become the basis for the assessment" ([Dawan, August 2026](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-starts-review-of-higher-education-standards)).

The ministry asked a hard question at the launch: can a Somali graduate compete with graduates from other countries for the same job ([same](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-starts-review-of-higher-education-standards))?

## How to choose a university

1. **Check it is registered** with the federal Ministry of Education ([moe.gov.so](https://moe.gov.so)) or, in Somaliland and Puntland, with the regional ministry.
2. **Ask about teachers.** How many hold a master's or a PhD?
3. **Ask the language of teaching.** If it is English, is there an English course first? See [learn English for free](/en/society/learn-english-free/).
4. **Ask former students** whether graduates found work.
5. **Look for outside accreditation** or partnerships with foreign universities.
6. **Compare fees** and ask about waivers for top exam students. See [exam results](/en/society/exam-results/) and [scholarships](/en/society/scholarships/).

## Why it matters

Somalis rebuilt higher education with their own money when there was no state. The next step is quality that the whole world trusts, so that a Somali degree opens doors everywhere.

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