Whether you are at the Hebrew University, a yeshiva or seminary, a gap-year programme or Bezalel, Jerusalem is a good student city with an expensive housing problem. Here is the practical layer.
Jerusalem has tens of thousands of students: the Hebrew University's campuses on Mount Scopus, Givat Ram and Ein Kerem, the Bezalel art academy in the centre, the colleges (Hadassah, Azrieli, David Yellin), the yeshivot and seminaries that draw English-speakers for a gap year or longer, and the Masa and exchange programmes. The city is walkable, cheap to get around, full of other students, and expensive to live in. This guide is the practical layer under the programme's own orientation; the rest of the site covers the deeper questions, starting with the neighbourhoods.
Where students live
- Dorms: the university's student villages on Mount Scopus and Givat Ram are the cheapest option and fill by the spring application deadline; international students get priority in some blocks. Apply the moment applications open.
- Shared apartments: French Hill and Givat HaMivtar for Mount Scopus, Nachlaot, the centre, Rehavia and Kiryat Yovel for everywhere else. Rooms are found on Facebook groups and Yad2, and the market moves fast in August and September. The renting guide explains guarantors and cheques, which apply to students too.
- Programme housing: yeshivot, seminaries and gap-year programmes usually house their students; the question is what happens in the summer and after.
Money
A student living in a shared apartment in a mid-range neighbourhood spends roughly the single-person budget in the cost-of-living guide minus the eating out: rent for a room, a share of the bills, groceries from the discount chains and the shuk, a student Rav-Kav, a cheap mobile plan. Open an Israeli bank account early (how); foreign cards work but the fees and the exchange rate add up, and Bit needs an Israeli account. Student discounts exist on transport, museums, the cinema and software; the student union card unlocks most of them.
Getting around
The light rail and buses cover the campuses; a student Rav-Kav profile, loaded at a Rav-Kav service point or online with student status, cuts the monthly pass and single fares substantially. Mount Scopus to the centre is a short light-rail ride; Givat Ram is a walk from Nachlaot and Rehavia. The transport guide covers the app and the pass; bikes work on the flat bits, which in Jerusalem are few.
Health, phone, paperwork
- Health: international students without residency need the insurance their programme arranges or a private policy; olim and residents join a health fund. The doctor guide explains urgent care and the ER, which matter at 2 a.m.
- Phone: a month-to-month plan from any provider; the mobile guide has the details.
- Visas and status: student visas run through the institution; olim status brings ulpan, tax benefits and the free health cover, which is why many students make aliyah during their degree.
- Bituach Leumi: residents pay the student minimum; the guide explains.
Hebrew
Degree programmes in Hebrew need it; the international programmes teach in English and run their own ulpan; the summer ulpan at the university before the year starts is the classic move. The ulpan guide covers the free ulpan for olim and the evening options.
Working
Students work in cafés, tutoring, English-language customer support, campus jobs and the tech companies' student positions; the international programmes limit hours on some visas, and olim can work freely. Payslips, pensions and the minimum wage apply to students too; the working guide explains what to check.
The social map
Nachlaot and the shuk for bars and Thursday nights, the First Station for concerts, the Yellow Submarine for live music, the Cinematheque for films, the student villages' own events, Shabbat meals through the campus Hillel and Chabad and the shuls of Nachlaot and Rehavia, hiking in the Jerusalem hills, and the volunteering that Israeli students do as a matter of course. The nightlife guide and the community guide have the addresses.
Hebrew you will meet
- student / studentit — student (m/f)
- universita — university
- me'onot — dormitories
- shutafim — flatmates
- Rav-Kav student — the discounted student transit profile
- mivchan — exam
More everyday words are in our Hebrew vocabulary guide.
Common questions
Where do students live in Jerusalem?
In the university dorms on Mount Scopus and Givat Ram, in shared apartments in French Hill, Nachlaot, the centre, Rehavia and Kiryat Yovel, or in programme housing for yeshivot, seminaries and gap-year programmes.
How much does a student need per month in Jerusalem?
With a room in a shared apartment, a share of bills, groceries and a student transit pass, most students spend in the range of 5,000 to 8,000 shekels a month in 2026; dorms and the outer neighbourhoods bring it down.
Is there a student discount on the light rail?
Yes: a student Rav-Kav profile, set up with proof of student status, discounts the monthly pass and single fares on Jerusalem's buses and light rail.
Can international students work in Israel?
Depending on the visa and programme, within set limits; olim and residents work freely. Campus jobs, tutoring and English-language customer roles are the usual openings.
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