If the UK or the US seem a little far from home when it comes to further education, then fret not – there are plenty of fantastic home-grown options to choose from.
Some of the greatest universities in the Middle East are to be found in the UAE, with rankings and stats provided by website Top Universities.
Each establishment has received its placing based on the following: academic reputation, employer reputation, international students, international faculty and number of citations per paper.
So without further ado, here are the top 10 universities to be found in the UAE in order of rank.
1. United Arab Emirates University
Considered the best university in the country and sixth best in the Arab region, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) holds courses in a range of subjects, from agriculture to medical sciences.
UAEU has close to 12,000 students enrolled in its courses – a sixth of which are international, with over three quarters of UAEU’s staff holding PhDs.
2. American University of Sharjah
The American University of Sharjah (AUS) is well-known for its multi-cultural student body, with close to half of the university’s 12,000 students being international.
According to topuniversities.com, AUS is the seventh best university in the Arab region.
3. University of Sharjah
As one of the city’s larger universities with a student body of close to 30,000, the University of Sharjah still boasts a rather international make-up, with almost a third of students from overseas.
The university strives to be one of the top research-based universities worldwide, and ranks the 19th best university in the Arab region, offering up courses from Arabic language to Business Administration.
4. Zayed University
While nowhere near as international (or as large) as the previous three universities with only 172 international students, Zayed University’s vision is to become the leading university in the UAE, recognised globally for its participation in educational and cultural achievements and enrichment of economic and social development.
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5. American University in Dubai
The American University in Dubai (AUD) boasts over 100 nationalities as part of its student body, with close to half of the university’s students originating from overseas.
While the university is much smaller than others in the UAE with less than 5,000 students, AUD still offers up a rather sizeable list of courses, with everything from architecture and engineering to Middle Eastern studies and interior design on offer.
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6. Khalifa University
Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research is an independent, non-profit, co-educational institution that was launched in 2007 as part of an Abu Dhabi government initiative.
The university’s focus centres around the advancement of learning through research, with the goal of becoming an internationally recognised research university. Out of the 1,300-strong roll-call, only 182 of students are international – with 37 per cent of international students being postgraduates.
7. Abu Dhabi University
Abu Dhabi University’s (ADU) student body consists of around 5,000 students of 55 different nationalities. While their academic reputation doesn’t rank as highly as some of the previously mentioned universities, ADU is the only university from Abu Dhabi to have made the top 10 list in the UAE.
The university is ranked 29th in the Arab region, offering up bachelor’s degrees in subjects from aviation to law.
8. Ajman University of Science and Technology
As one of the older universities in the country, Ajman University of Science and Technology ranks in at 44th in the Arab region, with an international student body of over 6,800.
Their catalogue of colleges spans pharmaceutical and health sciences, dentistry, engineering, business admin, as well as environment, water and energy studies.
9. Higher Colleges of Technology
Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) has campuses all over the UAE, and ranks in just after the Ajman University of Science and Technology at number 45 in the Arab region. Only 322 of its 16,000 strong student body is international.
With English-taught courses covering applied communications, business, computer and information science, engineering technology and science, health sciences, education and more, there’s no denying that their offering is extensive.
10. University of Dubai
The University of Dubai’s student population is rather small, with just under 1,500 students in total.
Ranking in at number 47 in the Arab region, the University of Dubai offers up courses in a range of business, law and IT subjects.
