10 Best Universities in UAE for International Students
The United Arab Emirates is fast-emerging as a top study abroad destination. It is already a preferred choice for students in other countries of the Middle East, owing to the fact that the best universities in UAE also happen to be the best in the Gulf region. Now, students from other parts of the world are also making their way to the UAE in large numbers. Part of the reason is that a number of top quality Western universities have got their international campuses operating in the UAE for quite some time now and attracting large numbers of international students. As a result, local universities in the UAE have also had to up their game regarding the quality of education imparted.
Another plus point of heading to the UAE for higher studies is the relatively lesser cost compared to top study destinations like America and the United Kingdom. So, for students who cannot afford to go to such places, the UAE serves as an attractive alternative. It has some of the best universities in the entire Middle East.
We did some digging to find out top universities in UAE and have come up with a list of the top ten places of higher education in the country. These centers of higher learning have been ranked by academic reputation, employer reputation, international faculty, international students, and research output. Read on to find out which universities cut.
1) United Arab Emirates University
The UAE University is considered as the number one institute of higher learning in the country and the sixth best in the Middle Eastern region. It offers a wide variety of degree programs ranging from agricultural sciences to medicine. The student body of UAE University is about 12,000 strong, a sixth of this number are international students. Additionally, about three-quarters of the university’s faculty members hold a Ph.D.
2) American University of Sharjah (AUS)
One of the most well-known international universities in the UAE, the American University of Sharjah has about 12,000 students, with close to half of them being foreign. It is generally considered the seventh-best university in the Middle East.
3) University of Sharjah
The University of Sharjah is one of the largest universities in the country. Its student strength is close to 30,000, with almost a third of them coming from beyond the UAE’s borders. The administration of the university places great emphasis on quality research output, and it ranks as the 19th best university in the Middle East, quite an achievement for a public-sector university.
4) Zayed University
While Zayed University does not quite have the diverse or multi-cultural student body as compared to some of the other universities on this list, it is still a top institute in the country. It is well-known around the world for its educational and cultural achievements as well as its contribution to economic and social development.
5) American University in Dubai (AUD)
The term “diversity” is synonymous with the American University in Dubai (AUD). Over a 100 different nationalities make up the university’s student body with almost half of them coming from outside the UAE.
6) Khalifa University
One of the more new universities on our list, the Khalifa University of Science, Technology, and Research is an independent, non-profit educational institution which was established by the UAE government in 2007. It puts great emphasis on quality research output and aims to become an internationally recognized research institute in the years and decades to come. Its international students are relatively few, with only about 200 of the university’s 13,000 strong student body coming from beyond the UAE’s borders. Also, 37 percent of these international students are currently enrolled in post-graduate degree programs.
7) Abu Dhabi University
The 55,000 strong student body of Abu Dhabi University has 55 different nationalities represented in it. This university doesn’t quite have the academic prestige of some of the other names mentioned in this piece. However, it is still the best institute in Abu Dhabi and is the lone entrant on our list from Abu Dhabi.
8) Ajman University of Science and Technology
The Ajman University of Science and Technology is one of the oldest educational institutions in the UAE. Its student body totals almost 7,000 and ranks among the top 50 universities in the Middle East. The wide variety of programs offered by the university ranges from pharmaceutical and health sciences to dentistry, business administration, engineering, computer sciences, environmental sciences, and energy studies.
9) Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)
Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) rank in the top 50 in the Middle East. This group of colleges has campuses all around the UAE with a total student strength of about 16,000. However, only about 400 of them are international students. The range courses offered is quite extensive and includes applied communications, business studies, computer sciences, engineering, medicine, educational administration, and many more.
10) University of Dubai
The University of Dubai is rather small with a student body totaling just about 1,500. It ranks at number 47 in the Middle East and offers a range of courses including business administration, law, IT, and social sciences.
Honorable Mention
The University of Manchester - Middle East Center
Part of the University of Manchester’s international network, the University of Manchester – Middle East Center was established in 2006. Its MBA program (full-time and part-time) is one of the most sought-after in the region today. The university boasts of about 2,500 alumni in the area who are working and excelling in the public, private, and corporate sectors. Its MBA program is held in very high regard by the business community in the UAE as well as the wider Middle East region.
There you have it, a glimpse of what is on offer for international students looking to make their way to the UAE for further studies. Do not hesitate to gather more information about each of these institutes by visiting their official websites. Cheers.
