The transition from secondary education to higher education represents a major academic and personal challenge for first-year undergraduate students. During this critical transition, students encounter new academic demands, independent learning practices, altered interpersonal networks, and institutional expectations. Academic adaptation plays a pivotal role in enabling students to engage effectively with university life. This study investigated the level of academic adaptation among first-year university students and examined whether academic specialization and gender significantly influence their adaptation levels. A descriptive research design was employed, encompassing a randomly selected sample of 391 first-year students across diverse faculties at M'sila University during the 2025/2026 academic year. Data were collected using the modified 59-item Henry Borow Academic Adaptation Scale, which evaluates six core dimensions: adaptation to curricula, goal maturity and level of ambition, personal effectiveness, study skills and habits, psychological health, and personal relationships. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .915). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and independent-samples t-tests. The results revealed a moderate overall level of academic adaptation among participants (M = 23.18, SD = 12.672). "Study skills and habits" attained the highest mean score across the dimensions, whereas "personal relationships" recorded the lowest. While academic specialization yielded no statistically significant difference in the global adaptation level (F = 1.908, p = .092), significant variations were found across specific dimensions, including adaptation to curricula, personal effectiveness, psychological health, and personal relationships. Furthermore, gender differences were statistically significant in overall academic adaptation in favor of female students (M = 24.78, SD = 12.805 vs. M = 22.01, SD = 12.470; p = .033). The findings underscore the pressing need to enhance academic advising, psychosocial counseling, and orientation initiatives that facilitate social and academic integration during the first year of university.