Study in Rwanda: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

Foreign students in Rwanda hold a U1 student permit from the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, valid for one year, with an application fee of RWF 20,000; citizens of the East African Community do not pay for residence permits. A separate P2 permit lets students work during holidays or work for up to a year after completing their studies. At Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Kigali, 2025-2026 tuition is USD 16,000 for African students and USD 60,300 for other international students.

Verified 15 Sep 2026 Sources

Rwanda hosts Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) in Kigali, a location of the US university established in 2011 under an agreement with the Government of Rwanda. It offers English-taught master's degrees in information technology, electrical and computer engineering and engineering artificial intelligence. Tuition for 2025-2026 is USD 16,000 a year for African students and USD 60,300 for international students, including a laptop, textbooks and health insurance, and there is no application fee. Applications open on 1 October, with an early deadline of 15 December and a final deadline of 15 January, and CMU-Africa admits students for the fall semester only. It recommends TOEFL 81, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120. Need-based aid, including Government of Rwanda grants and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, is available, and the FAQ limits it to admitted applicants of African nationality.

The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration issues the U1 student permit to foreigners who are in Rwanda for study purposes. The permit is valid for one year. Applicants provide a travel document valid for at least six months, a recommendation letter from the school, a sponsorship letter and, for students over 18, an original police clearance; renewals need the same documents except the police clearance. The application fee is RWF 20,000. Under the general permit rules, foreigners have a grace period of 15 days after arrival to apply, citizens of the East African Community do not pay for residence permits, and fees are not refunded if an application is denied or withdrawn.

For work, the P2 student permit is issued to a foreign student at a recognised institution of higher learning who intends to work during holidays, and also to a foreign student who has just completed studies, on the basis of an employment contract. It costs RWF 20,000 and is valid for up to one year. The immigration pages do not publish weekly hour limits or processing times.