7 Best Universities in United Arab Emirates for International Students

The United Arab Emirates is saturated with the best quality of living and some highly renowned universities for higher studies. Scholarships and other study opportunities are also vastly available here, for which the number of international students has grown very fast over the years.

Here, we’ll talk about the best universities in United Arab Emirates. These universities grant a broad range of study disciplines and offer undeniable opportunities for international students as well.

How Many International Students Study in the United Arab Emirates?

Among the total of 138,000 students in higher education, 77,400 are international students in the United Arab Emirates. These students choose from 79 institutions of higher studies.

What is the Most Prestigious University in the United Arab Emirates?

Khalifa University is the most prestigious and highest-ranked university in the United Arab Emirates. It sits within the top 250 best universities in the world and offers a diverse range of programs mainly in technical fields.

Best Universities in United Arab Emirates for International Students

1. Khalifa University

Khalifa University, also known as Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research(KUSTAR), is the best university in the United Arab Emirates for international students. It’s relatively new, founded in 2007. More than 3500 students are enrolled here within its 2 campuses, one in Abu Dhabi and the other in Sharjah. The university contains 3 colleges for engineering, medical, and arts and maintains a great 8:1 student to faculty ratio.

The university offers 20 graduate and 14 undergraduate programs. It has one of the best research bases in the country with 18 specialized research centers covering over 400 invention disclosures. There is a total of 167 patents achieved.

The students also published over 9000 articles, 40% of which are placed in the best journals. Khalifa University also has partnerships with 50 organizations. QS World University Ranking has placed this university in 211^th best place in the world.

2. United Arab Emirates University

United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is situated in the Al Ain oasis of Abu Dhabi. It was founded in 1976, becoming the oldest university in UAE. Currently, more than 13,000 students are enrolled here with 600 faculty members. UAEU is the 4^th ranked university in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

This top university in UAE contains 9 colleges offering 78 undergraduate programs and even more graduate programs. It’s also internationally active, with students coming from over 75 countries. 1 out of 4 students here is international. The research base contains 9 research centers that have over 30 collaborations and 128 patents achieved. United Arab Emirates University is ranked 284^th best in the world.

3. American University of Sharjah

International Admissions Page

American University of Sharjah (AUS) is the most internationally popular university in UAE. It was founded in 1997 in Sharjah city, and currently holds over 5100 students from 86 countries. 327 academic staffs come from 47 countries. The university operates under 4 colleges. Only 26% of the student population is from within the UAE.

Under the colleges, the university offers 26 undergraduate majors, 48 minors, 16 master’s programs, and only 1 Ph.D. opportunity for Engineering Systems Management. Apart from studies, the university contains 73 clubs and organizations within its 12 academic buildings. QS ranked the American University of Sharjah in 348^th best place.

4. American University in Dubai

Undergraduate Admissions Page

Founded in 1995, American University in Dubai (AUD) is one of the best universities in UAE for international students. It’s comparatively small and has over 2200 students with 171 academic staff. This builds an outstanding 15:1 student to faculty ratio. The university contains 3 campuses and operates under 6 schools.

These schools offer 12 undergraduate and 7 graduate programs. The library contains over 347,000 books and students maintain 50 clubs and organizations. Although there is a lower number of students, they come from over 105 countries around the globe. AUD is placed over 600^th place by the QS record.

5. University of Sharjah

International Admissions Page

Founded in 1997 in the emirate of Sharjah, the University of Sharjah (UOS) is a great place for a broad range of study programs. More than 15,000 students study here under 650 academic staff. The university contains 5 campuses in different cities, with 9 libraries containing over 315,000 books.

The university offers over 80-degree programs including 11 PhDs and 15 diploma programs. But, it doesn’t have any conventional schools or faculties, rather it operates with 8 clusters, where related study programs are attached for a better understanding of the topics. UOS also has partnerships with 100 international universities, collaborations with 45 organizations. It is also ranked over 600^th place by the QS.

6. Abu Dhabi University

Abu Dhabi University (ADU) is also relatively new. It was founded in 2003 in the capital and is the largest private university in UAE. Currently, more than 7300 students are enrolled here, among whom 1500 are graduate and 86 doctorate students.

Students come here from 70 countries and study under its 3 campuses. International students comprise 43% of the total population, and 2% of the students are from GCC countries.

ADU has 6 colleges, among whom engineering and business colleges are the biggest. It has over 19,900 alumni. It boasts an 85% undergraduate retention rate and a 79% 6-year graduation rate. QS ranked this university over 700^th place.

7. Zayed University

Undergraduate Admissions Page

The final university in our list of best universities in UAE for international students is Zayed University, which was founded in 1998 and is one of the 3 government-sponsored universities. It currently has 9,000 undergraduate and 270 graduate students within its 7 colleges of study. The colleges offer 10 master’s degrees and 17 majors and 10 minors in bachelor programs. Students are taught by 685 faculty members.

As of 2016, the university awarded 1410 degrees. Besides study, it also has 2 libraries. The research base published 237 research articles and 27 books. Zayed University is also ranked over 700^th place by the QS ranking.

I hope that this article on the best universities in UAE for international students was informative. If you are interested, visit the Asia Scholarships Category!