AMMAN - A total of 24,699 foreign students enrolled at Jordanian universities in the 2006/2007 academic year compared to 23,053 in 2005/2006, according to Higher Education Ministry figures.

Of this number, 13,066 foreign students studied in private universities, according to the statistics, which also indicated the number of female students increased from 6,217 in 2005 to 6,686 in 2006.

Ministry Secretary General Turki Obeidat attributed the increase to the good reputation enjoyed by higher education institutions in the country coupled with the security and political stability in Jordan compared with other countries in the region.

Diverse specialties and a modern, yet conservative, community also attract foreign students, he told The Jordan Times on Monday.

He added that minimum admission rates for Arab students are 10 marks lower than those required of Jordanians.

Arab students constitute the majority of foreign students, according to the figures, with a total of 6,202 Palestinians, 2,866 Syrians, 2,725 Saudis, 1,702 Kuwaitis, 1,720 Omanis and 1,423 Iraqis.

The ministry has assigned cultural consultants at public universities to help and guide Arab students during their stay in the Kingdom, Obeidat said, adding that universities have started organising cultural events where they can display their countries’ traditions and have popular meals.

Sultan Khalidi, a Saudi finance and banking student, said he chose to study here due to its highly reputed universities.

“Jordanian universities are very strong and their graduates are quickly hired in the Saudi labour market,” Khalidi told The Jordan Times on Monday.

In addition, Khalidi said the customs and habits in Jordan are very similar to those in his homeland, adding that security is another plus factor for foreign students.

Khalidi, a Zaytoonah University student, said he drives freely around the Kingdom and people are very friendly wherever he goes.

Another student from the UAE, Hammad Zaabawi, said he came to Jordan to study international law after his friends told him about the education system in the Kingdom.

“I had the choice to study in Europe, but I opted to study in a Jordanian university,” Zaabawi said.

The Applied Science University student lives in an apartment with five of his relatives, who are also studying in Jordanian universities.

His university had the largest number of foreign students (3,522) among private institutions in the Kingdom in the previous academic year, while 4,226 were registered at the Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid.

Jordan has 10 public universities, 15 private universities, and 50 community colleges.

Over 200,000 students are enrolled at the undergraduate level, 17,000 in masters programmes and 3,000 are pursuing PhDs.

In addition, there are 26,000 students working towards two-year degrees at community colleges.

Close to 23 per cent of public university revenues are grants from the government, while the remainder comes mainly from tuition fees. Public spending is sourced from a special 1998 tax levied on imports to support universities.

The current ratio of students to teachers in higher education in Jordan is 35 to 1, compared to 30 to 1 in Egypt, 23 to 1 in the UK, 14 to 1 in the US, 13 to 1 in Lebanon, and 9 to 1 in Canada.