Afghanistan
With its rich cultural heritage and unique geopolitical position, Afghanistan offers a profound educational experience characterized by its historical significance, diverse landscapes, and resilient people. Foreign students are drawn to Afghanistan for the opportunity to engage with ancient civilizations, explore breathtaking natural wonders such as the Hindu Kush mountains and the Buddhas of Bamiyan, and contribute to the country's reconstruction and development efforts. Additionally, Afghanistan's strategic location at the crossroads of Central and South Asia provides students with invaluable insights into regional dynamics and opportunities for academic research and experiential learning.
Afghanistan Country Profile
Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in the Middle East bordered by China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan lands are home to old civilizations and in 1973 the Republic has been declared. Currently it is officially named as Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Kabul is the capital and the largest city of the country. Other important cities include Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, and Mazar-i Sharif.
The country has two official languages: Pashto and Dari and bilingualism is common. There are also regionally spoken languages such as Turkmen and Uzbek. Majority of the population in Afghanistan is Muslim while other minority religions include Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism.
The Afghanistan economy is growing and its current GDP is around $19.29 billion. The currency of the country is Afghani (AFT). The country has rich natural resources of gas, petroleum, salt and coal. It also has arable land for fruits and nuts. The country has a hot and dry climate with cold winters and hot summers.
Afghanistan has several membership to international organizations and cooperation agreements with other countries. Currently, it a member of Economic Cooperation Organization, the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and the United Nations.
Higher Education in Afghanistan
Afghanistan provides a multicultural education environment by encouraging students from all over the world. It has more than 19 public and 75 private institutions of higher education, and offers undergraduate and graduate level studies under the supervision of Ministry of Higher Education. While majority of the schools are located in Kabul, there are also opportunities for remote studies.
The bachelor degree programs are usually takes four year/8 semester and master’s programs varies on one to two years. Generally, graduate programs require undergraduate degree, thesis or research project and some MBA program may also require two years of professional experience.
The length of the school year varies on the location, while in colder areas it is from March to November, in warmer areas it is from September to June. Afghanistan also observes several national and religious holidays as school breaks.
The universities offers variety of scholarships and funding such as merit-based, athletic, international student, low-income opportunities. They also have exchange programs for faculty and students.
Cost of Living in Afghanistan
- A family of four estimated monthly costs are 1,185.9$ (87,453.3AFN) without rent.
- A single person estimated monthly costs are 399.4$ (29,455.1AFN) without rent.
Restaurants | Average ($) | Range ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 2.03 $ | 1.36-3.39 |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 9.07 $ | 6.78-20.34 |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 3.39 $ | 3.39-4.07 |
| Domestic Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught) | 3.05 $ | 1.36-6.78 |
| Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 6.78 $ | 2.71-6.78 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 1.08 $ | 0.41-2.03 |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | 0.42 $ | 0.27-0.68 |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | 0.19 $ | 0.14-0.27 |
Markets | ||
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 0.70 $ | 0.41-0.88 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 0.25 $ | 0.15-0.81 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 1.61 $ | 0.81-2.31 |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 1.48 $ | 1.20-1.63 |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 3.56 $ | 2.71-6.78 |
| Chicken Fillets (1kg) | 3.20 $ | 2.31-4.07 |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 5.63 $ | 4.75-6.78 |
| Apples (1kg) | 0.59 $ | 0.34-1.49 |
| Banana (1kg) | 0.80 $ | 0.54-2.03 |
| Oranges (1kg) | 0.87 $ | 0.41-2.71 |
| Tomato (1kg) | 0.53 $ | 0.27-1.08 |
| Potato (1kg) | 0.36 $ | 0.20-0.47 |
| Onion (1kg) | 0.32 $ | 0.20-0.41 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 0.28 $ | 0.14-0.47 |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 0.31 $ | 0.27-0.41 |
| Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range) | 3.39 $ | 0.81-20.34 |
| Domestic Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 0.71 $ | 0.41-1.36 |
| Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 1.49 $ | 0.95-2.44 |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 1.70 $ | 0.81-2.71 |
Transportation | ||
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 0.27 $ | 0.27-0.41 |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 9.49 $ | 6.78-20.34 |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 0.68 $ | 0.68-2.03 |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 0.88 $ | 0.41-1.36 |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 1.36 $ | 1.36-4.07 |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 1.00 $ | 0.88-1.32 |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 7,797.53 $ | 7,458.50-8,136.55 |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 37,970.57 $ | |
| Utilities (Monthly) | ||
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 94.42 $ | 20.34-271.22 |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 14.91 $ | 12.20-16.27 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 158.21 $ | 67.80-271.22 |
Sports And Leisure | ||
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 9.04 $ | 6.78-13.56 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 3.28 $ | 0.00-5.42 |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 2.57 $ | 1.36-4.07 |
Childcare | ||
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 25.38 $ | 13.56-54.24 |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 1,265.69 $ | 1,084.87-1,627.31 |
Clothing And Shoes | ||
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 15.40 $ | 6.78-24.41 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 18.49 $ | 9.22-27.12 |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 27.12 $ | 13.56-67.80 |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 24.64 $ | 16.27-33.90 |
Rent Per Month | ||
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 108.49 $ | 67.80-203.41 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 63.28 $ | 33.90-135.61 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 225.60 $ | 135.61-406.83 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 138.32 $ | 67.80-203.41 |
Buy Apartment Price | ||
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 442.67 $ | 271.22-729.84 |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 204.85 $ | 135.61-279.83 |
Salaries And Financing | ||
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 195.79 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 15.02 | 10.00-20.00 |
UNIVERSITIES AT Afghanistan
Balkh University
Balkh, 1 Faculties
Afghan University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Al-Beroni University
Kapisa, 0 Faculties
Alfalah University
Jalalabad, 0 Faculties
American University of Afghanistan
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Aryana University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Badakhshan University
Fayzabad, 0 Faculties
Badghis University
Badghis, 0 Faculties
Bakhtar University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Balkh University
Balkh, 0 Faculties
Bamyan University
Bamyan, 0 Faculties
Bost University
Lashkargah, 0 Faculties
Kabul Education University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Dawat University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Dunya University of Afghanistan
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Farah University
Farah, 0 Faculties
Faryab University
Faryab, 0 Faculties
Ghazni University
Ghazni, 0 Faculties
Hara University
Khost, 0 Faculties
Herat University
Herat, 0 Faculties
Jawzjan University
Sheberghan, 0 Faculties
Kabul Medical University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Kabul University
Kabul, 16 Faculties
Kandahar University
Kandahar, 0 Faculties
Kardan University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Karwan University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Kateb University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Khatam Al-Nabieen University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Khurasan University
Jalalabad, 0 Faculties
Kunduz University
Kunduz, 0 Faculties
Loghman University
Mitarlam, 0 Faculties
Maiwand Institute of Higher Education
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Maryam University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Maulana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi University
Mazar-i-Sharif, 0 Faculties
Nangarhar University
Jalalabad, 0 Faculties
Paktia University
Gardez, 0 Faculties
Pamir University
Khost, 0 Faculties
Parwan University
Charikar, 0 Faculties
Polytechnical University of Kabul
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Rana University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Salam University
Kabul, 0 Faculties
Samangan University
Samangan, 0 Faculties
Shaikh Zayed University
Khost, 0 Faculties
Spinghar University
Jalalabad, 0 Faculties
Syed Jamaluddin Afghan University
Kunar, 0 Faculties
Takhar University
Taloqan, 0 Faculties
Urozgan University
Tarinkot, 0 Faculties