New data published by the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC) of the Council for Higher Education found that Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) recorded Israel’s highest on-time graduation rate, with 91% of students completing their degrees within the normative timeframe.
According to the report, Bar-Ilan University ranked second with an 87% on-time completion rate, followed by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at 80%. The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, and Tel Aviv University shared fourth place, with 78% of students finishing on time.
Enrollment growth alongside high completion rates
The strong showing comes after a year of enrollment growth at BGU. The 2025–2026 academic year opened with a 6% increase in first-year undergraduate enrollment and a 2% rise in the overall student body.
Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, president of Ben-Gurion University, said the figures reflect sustained investment in teaching and student support. “Investing in students and teaching is the key to their success and to the growth of Israeli society as a whole,” he said.
“The combination of steady growth and high graduation rates shows it is possible to maintain a high academic bar while ensuring students have the tools they need to finish on time.”
Faculty-by-faculty results
The report also broke down on-time completion rates by discipline:
In health sciences, BGU and the Hebrew University led with 94%, followed by Tel Aviv University and Ariel University at 93%, and the Technion at 91%.
In engineering, BGU topped the list with 91%, while Tel Aviv University, the University of Haifa, and Ariel University were listed at 80%.
In natural sciences, the Technion led with 81%, followed by BGU (78%), Bar-Ilan (73%), and the Hebrew University (72%).
In a combined social sciences and humanities category, the Technion ranked first with 99%, followed by BGU at 97% and Bar-Ilan at 96%, according to the report.