Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology

Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) is a private, Sindh-chartered university headquartered in Clifton, Karachi, with campuses in Islamabad, Larkana, Hyderabad and Dubai. Founded in the mid-1990s (confirm the charter year on the official site), it is known for BBA and business degrees, computer science and software engineering, media sciences, social sciences and biosciences, and for a rigorous test-plus-interview admission model. SZABIST appears on the HEC recognised universities list as Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology.

Quick Facts

City	Karachi (Clifton, with additional campuses elsewhere)
Province	Sindh
Established	1990s; check the official website for the charter year
Sector	Private
HEC recognition	Recognised (listed on hec.gov.pk)
Official website	https://szabist.edu.pk/
Admissions page	https://szabist.edu.pk/admissions/

Faculties and Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate programs referenced on official SZABIST admission pages include:

Management Sciences: BBA, BS Accounting and Finance
Computer Science: BS Computer Science, BS Software Engineering, BS Artificial Intelligence
Social Sciences: BS Social Sciences (45% entry threshold), BS Psychology
Media Sciences: BS Media Science
Biosciences: BS Biosciences
Other programs vary by campus; check the official program list for Karachi.

Source: https://hyd.szabist.edu.pk/admission.html. Compare in the programs archive.

Admission Process

SZABIST admits in Fall and Spring. Applications are made through the online SZABIST Admission System, which lets you save and return to the form until final submission. The steps:

Create an account and complete the online application.
Pay the application processing fee through the HBL challan generated by the portal (the FAQ lists Rs. 1,500 for Pakistani nationals and $45 for foreigners; the Hyderabad campus page lists Rs. 2,000 and $60, so check the official website for the current Karachi figure).
Courier or hand-deliver the documents and paid slip to the Clifton admissions office.
Print the admit card after the Admission Office approves the application, then sit the entrance test.
Attend the interview (and group discussion for BS Software Engineering); successful candidates receive e-letters and pay fees by the stated date.

Source: https://szabist.edu.pk/faqs/. Dates are tracked in the SZABIST admissions 2026-27.

Entry Test and Merit

SZABIST gives an entrance test and interview to every applicant; overseas BBA applicants may submit SAT instead. Sample tests are published per program. No merit weightage is published. See the SZABIST entry test guide.

Fee Structure

Official pages list a one-time, non-refundable admission fee of Rs. 25,000 ($500 for foreign nationals) and a refundable security deposit of Rs. 15,000 ($330) on the Hyderabad campus page; Karachi tuition figures are not published in text on the pages we verified. Check the official website for the Karachi fee schedule. Fees are not refunded once classes begin, per the FAQ.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The SZABIST homepage announces the Ihsan Trust interest-free loan facility for 2025-26, and the institute has MoUs with Meezan Bank and The Citizens Foundation; specific scholarship percentages are not published on the pages we checked, so check the official website. Our scholarships archive covers external options.

Campuses

Karachi (Clifton) is the main campus; SZABIST also runs campuses in Islamabad, Larkana, Hyderabad and Dubai, with an inter-campus transfer policy. Browse the campuses archive.

Why Students Choose SZABIST

SZABIST is a well-established private option for business and computing in Karachi with a selective interview-based intake and a multi-campus network that allows transfers. Fees sit in the upper private-sector range and must be confirmed per campus.