Bar-Ilan University has opened the 2026-27 academic year, welcoming new students to campus and highlighting its research achievements and international study opportunities.
At the Kofkin Faculty of Engineering’s opening-year orientation, dean and professor Orit Shefi announced a significant rise in the faculty’s standing in the Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for electrical and electronic engineering. Bar-Ilan has moved into the 201-300 range worldwide, up from 401-500 last year.
“This leap reflects the outstanding research of our faculty members, both the established researchers who built the faculty’s reputation and the excellent young scientists who have joined us in recent years,” said Shefi. “It is a strong signal to students beginning their studies this year that they are joining a faculty that competes with the best in the world.”
This year, Bar-Ilan welcomes more than 1,000 international students from more than 50 countries. The university’s International School offers more than 20 English-language programs, including first-year study frameworks in law, life sciences and psychology that combine coursework in English with intensive Hebrew-language instruction, providing students with a structured pathway into Israeli higher education while developing the language skills needed for their continued studies.
“Internationalization is central to Bar-Ilan’s vision for the future,” said professor Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, vice president for internationalization and the third mission. “By bringing together students from different countries and backgrounds, we enrich our campus community, foster new perspectives and build connections that extend far beyond the classroom.”
“Bar-Ilan University continues to attract international students from around the world, even amid the extraordinary challenges Israel has faced since Oct. 7, 2023. The fact that we have not seen a decline in international student enrollment is a powerful testament to the resilience of Israeli higher education and the continued confidence of students in the quality of our academic institutions. From North America to Europe and Asia, international students choose Bar-Ilan for its academic excellence, research opportunities and welcoming international community. Their decision to study in Israel at this time speaks to the enduring strength and global appeal of Israeli higher education,” said Yulia Ben-Rafael Zimlinski, executive director of the International School.
Among the American students beginning their studies at Bar-Ilan this year are Yotam Berendt, from North Carolina, who will study communications and political science; Raquel Schnall, from New York, who will major in psychology; and Dalya Offer, from Maryland, who will study life sciences. Their varied academic interests reflect the breadth of opportunities available to students joining Bar-Ilan from across the United States.
From engineering to law, Bar-Ilan’s new academic year brings together students pursuing their ambitions across a range of disciplines, alongside researchers whose work is gaining international recognition. For international students, English-language study frameworks offer a pathway to academic life in Israel and the opportunity to become part of the university’s diverse academic community.