Students

Ariel University Center began modestly as a regional college in the 1980s. In 1994, at AUC fewer than 300 students were pursuing academic degrees. After a period of accelerated growth the number of students registered for the 2008-2009 academic year reached 11,000.

A Student Population that Reflects All Sectors of Israeli Society

• Economically, the greatest numbers of students come from families classified by the Central Bureau of Statistics as average wage earners, but there is also a significant number of students who come from families living below the poverty line.
• Geographically, AUC is serving students from all over the country. 70% of them come from the center of the country, and another 15% are from Israel's northern and southern peripheries.
• Culturally, in 2008-09 nearly 2,000 of the students at AUC were born outside of Israel. Most of them received their primary, and in many cases, their high school education in a language other than Hebrew. AUC has more than 400 students who come from Arabic speaking homes, and both Jewish orthodox and secular Israelis study together in all faculties and departments.

Opportunity for All

A primary focus of the faculty and curriculum at AUC is to provide each applicant every advantage possible to achieve a quality education. Though there are universities that have larger student populations, AUC is proud of the fact that it has the largest number of Ethiopian-born students of any institution of higher education in Israel.

Not wishing to turn away students with potential, AUC operates a special preparatory program for students who did not attain the necessary prerequisites to be accepted to regular studies. Every year 1,500 young people are given a second chance to achieve the grades necessary to enter university study. Upon successful completion of the program, they may enroll in the faculty of their choice and graduate with a degree.