Hada News
Iraq opens free places at private medical, dentistry and pharmacy colleges; this year's science graduates must apply on Qadam by 24 October
Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education says students who finished the scientific stream of preparatory school in 2025/2026 can apply through the Qadam app for a fee-free seat at a private university or college. Places go by a competitive average, with minimum scores of 96% for general medicine and 93% for dentistry and pharmacy.
Families in Iraq with a child who has just finished secondary school in the science stream have ten days to act. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced on 13 October that applications are open for the free scholarship for the medical group of subjects (general medicine, dentistry and pharmacy) at private universities and colleges for the 2026/2027 academic year. The last day to apply is Saturday 24 October 2026.
Who can apply: only graduates of the scientific branch of preparatory school from the 2025/2026 school year. Applications are made online through the Qadam app, using the student's exam number and password.
The thresholds: according to the published rules, applicants need an average of at least 96% for general medicine and at least 93% for dentistry or pharmacy. A student can list up to seven different colleges. Free places are set at 5% of each private university's or college's intake capacity, and admission goes to the highest competitive average.
How the average is calculated: the competitive average is the student's preparatory-school score plus extra marks for specified groups. The rules give 7 marks to families of martyrs, 6 to students who have lost one or both parents, 5 to students whose father serves in the Popular Mobilisation Forces (central administration only), and 3 to low-income students with an unemployed parent, each backed by documents from the relevant body. Orphaned students must visit verification centres at public universities to have the extra marks approved.
After the deadline: private universities interview the students offered places and check their files. Once a student is accepted by one college, the system deletes their other choices automatically, and the ministry's private-education directorate approves the final list before students register through a dedicated interface.
Why it matters: the fee-free route is capped at 5% of seats at each private college, so the 24 October cut-off and the order in which students rank their seven choices both count.
Sources: Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announcement and admission rules, 13 Oct 2026; Iraqi News Agency (INA), 13 Oct 2026.
Watch next: whether the ministry publishes the number of free places per college, and the date results appear on Qadam.