Islamic studies
4 years- You study
- Creed, Hadith sciences, Outreach
- Jobs
- Islamic studies teacher, Preacher
- Average for the arts and humanities field · Age 25–29
- 6,300SAR
Average monthly pay in the arts and humanities field for Saudi bachelor’s holders, GASTAT Labour Force Survey 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3; many earn less. Pay in a first job is usually lower.
Forecasts published in other countries for the occupation Religious leaders: roughly stable (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH); Employment and Social Development Canada, June 2025 · Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 – Muharram 1447 AH)1,2. They are not a forecast for the Saudi market, nor by DataPulse.
Where is Islamic studies taught?
Taught at 20 universities: 20 government and 0 private.
Riyadh
- Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityGovernment · men and women
- King Saud UniversityGovernment
- Majmaah UniversityGovernment
- Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz UniversityGovernment · women
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman UniversityGovernment · women
- Shaqra UniversityGovernment · men and women
Makkah
- Taif UniversityGovernment
- Umm Al-Qura UniversityGovernment · men and women
Madinah
- Islamic University of MadinahGovernment · men
- Taibah UniversityGovernment · men
Qassim
- Qassim UniversityGovernment · men and women
Eastern Province
- Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityGovernment
- King Faisal UniversityGovernment
- University of Hafr Al BatinGovernment · women
Asir
- King Khalid UniversityGovernment · men and women
Tabuk
- University of TabukGovernment
Hail
- University of HailGovernment
Northern Borders
- Northern Border UniversityGovernment · men and women
Najran
- Najran UniversityGovernment · men and women
Al-Jouf
- Jouf UniversityGovernment · women
From university pages, admission guides and the Ministry’s Study in Saudi platform4. Gender is tagged where the university publishes it per programme.
Compare with…
A side-by-side view, not a judgement that one major is better. Figures are for the broad field, so two majors in one field share the same figures. Figures: bachelor’s, both sexes, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)35
| Islamic studies | Law | Archaeology |
|---|---|---|
| Field in the survey | ||
| Arts and humanities | Business, administration and law | Arts and humanities |
| Length of study | ||
| 4 years | 4 years | 4–5 years |
| Taught at | ||
| 20 universities | 39 universities | 10 universities |
| Men | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Women | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Holders of the field working | ||
| 88.5% | 91.5% | 88.5% |
| Unemployment in the field | ||
| 11.5% | 8.5% | 11.5% |
| Average wage in the field (SAR) | ||
| 10,319 | 11,491 | 10,319 |
| An occupation of its graduates and generative AI | ||
| not exposed | minimal exposure | — |
Availability for men and women from university pages and the Ministry’s programmes platform; last checked 24 October 2026 (13 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
What do Islamic studies students learn?
Studying Islamic creed, Hadith, outreach and Islamic culture.
- Creed
- Hadith sciences
- Outreach
- Islamic culture
In Arabic: الدراسات الإسلامية
How many years is Islamic studies?
4 years. Length from the programme page on the university website6; it may differ between universities.
What jobs do Islamic studies graduates do?
Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:
- Islamic studies teacher
- Preacher
- Imam
- Islamic researcher
You teach or guide people by day; your post may be in a far town.
- Sometimes outside the city
What do Islamic studies graduates earn?
GASTAT does not publish pay for each major; this is the average for the “Arts and humanities” field among Saudi bachelor’s holders, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3.
What is unemployment in the arts and humanities field?
Unemployment among Saudi graduates of the field (bachelor’s, all ages)3:
For the whole field, not this major alone. Past measurement, not a forecast.
Official decisions and signals
- The job “Imam” is little affected by AI. May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH) (occupation, not major)7
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Clergy” (BLS 21-2011), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Religious leaders” (COPS 41302), 2024–2033 (1445–1455 AH).
- General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Labour Force Survey: Saudi bachelor’s holders in “Arts and humanities”, 2024 (1445–1446 AH).
- Programme pages on university websites, last checked 26 October 2026 (15 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
- International Labour Organization, global index of occupational exposure to generative AI, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
- Qassim University, Islamic studies programme page, last checked 24 October 2026 (13 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
- International Labour Organization · occupation code 2636, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).