UAE is a progressive country with growing world-class universities for international students. Almost all the universities in the UAE are young organizations that rapidly grew up and got featured by several recognized ranking agencies.

The universities in the UAE provide career-centric education to their students on business, technology, and humanities. With English being the main language of education, it’s a snap for international students to acquire world-class education with modern equipment in the country.

Some of the salient rankings to top universities in UAE are:

  • The American University of Sharjah ranks #7 among the Arab Region Rankings according to the QS Global Rankings, 2021.
  • The SP Jain School of Global Management has been ranked #12 according to the latest ranking of Forbes Best International 1-year MBAs.
  • The Khalifa University achieved the #21 rank in Petroleum Engineering according to QS World University Rankings, 2021

Top Universities in UAE Rankings

US News and World Report, Times Higher Education, and QS Top Universities are some of the top-ranking agencies that rank the universities in the world every year based on several different parameters.

At present, there are a lot of universities in the UAE providing world-class educational facilities to international students. Following are some of the top universities in the UAE and their individual ranks across various fields of education:

University QS World University Rankings 2021 and THE World University Rankings, 2021 Other Rankings
United Arab Emirates University QS: #284
THE: #301-350
-
Khalifa University QS: #211
THE: #351-400
#672 by US News and World Report
American University of Sharjah QS: #348 #7 in Arab Region Rankings by QS Top Universities
University of Wollongong in Dubai QS: #196 #14 in the QS Top 50 Under 50 Rankings
University of Sharjah QS: #601-650
THE: #601-800
-
Abu Dhabi University QS: #701-750 #36 in Arab Region Rankings by QS Top Universities
New York University Abu Dhabi QS: #601-650 -

Top Universities in the UAE by Employability

Although the universities in UAE are young, however, certain rapid improvements in the rankings are observed. Besides, some of the universities are satellite campuses of some top international universities from different countries across the world. In the era of the modern industrial revolution, UAE is focused on the employability of the students like any other business-centric country.

The core industries include petroleum, petrochemicals, and aluminum, hiring a number of employees throughout. Hotel, logistics, airlines, media, fishing, shipbuilding, textiles, and handicrafts are some of the mass recruiting private sectors in the country. Below are some of the universities with the average salaries offered to the alumni:

University Average Salary for MBA, B.A., and B.Sc. in USD
American University in Dubai MBA: 81,000,
B.A.: 60,000,
B.Sc.: 32,000
American University of Sharjah B.A.: 49,000,
B.Sc. 35,000
University of Wollongong Dubai M.B.A.: 88,000,
B.A.: 67,000,
B.Sc.: 33,000
Arab Academy B.Sc.: 97,000
Jordan University of Science and Technology B.Sc.: 45,000

The unemployment rate of the UAE never crossed 5% even in pandemic conditions. With the diversity of occupations in the country, young students are likely to get a job in their relevant field in the UAE right after completing their respective courses from the top-ranked universities of the UAE.

Top Universities in the UAE for Business

UAE being the richest country in the middle east has Dubai as the wealthiest city in the sphere. The country is one of the busiest business centers in the world engrossing technical knowledge and implementable skills in the universities. The top business schools in the UAE are listed below:

University Tuition Fees for MBA in AED Score Requirements
Hult International Business School 2,87,000 GMAT required
United Arab Emirate University 89,750 in Al Ain,
1,33,350 in Abu Dhabi
IELTS: 6.0
TOEFL iBT: 79
Middlesex University Dubai 1,07,600 IELTS: 6.5 with 6.0 in each section
IMT Business School Dubai 80,000 -
Amity University 45,000 + 5% VAT 50% in X, XII and undergraduate or equivalent
Manipal University Dubai Campus Annual tuition fees 48,300 + 1,680 registration and application Fresher and working graduates with adequate English language proficiency
Zayed University 1,28,000 CGPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale,
TOEFL CBT: 213, iBT: 79, IELTS: 6.0, EmSAT: 1400

Top Universities in the UAE for Computer Science and Engineering

Computer science is a course offering endless career opportunities. Being solely a technical field of work, computer science students in the UAE are more likely to get high salary jobs in different fields like the schools, business, administration, public service and many other organizations. Some of the top universities in the UAE offering courses on computer science are listed below:

University Tuition Fees for M.E. or M.S. in AED Requirements
Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence All full time students are granted 100% scholarships Bachelors with CGPA 3.2 on 4.0,
TOEFL iBT: 90/ IELTS: 6.5/ EMSAT: 1550, GRE, SOP,
Entrance exam on Machine Learning, Programming, and Math
BITS, Pilani, Dubai 30,000 approx, based on the residence fee and institute transport availing Good UG Scores
University of Birmingham, Dubai 59,000 per year 2:2 honors degree, English language test score required

Top Universities in the UAE for Medicine

Medications and curing is a demanding career all over the world. UAE having majorly international residents is not an exception requiring professionals in the field of medicine. In addition, medical students are eligible to earn tax-free salaries in the UAE. Here are some of the top universities in the UAE for Medicine:

University Tuition Fees per year in AED Requirements
Gulf Medical University Evaluation fee: 2,100;
Tuition fees per year: 1,43,325
17 years of age,
1400 in EmSAT/ 550 in TOEFL/ 6.0 IELTS, 75% in 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology
Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences 1,85,000 Overall average of 85%in three science subjects, admission entrance exam result
Dubai Medical College 1,20,000 tuition fees + 5% VAT + 2000 student service fees Higher secondary in science, EmSAT: 1,100/ TOEFL: 500 (173 CBT, 61 iBT)/ IELTS: 5, entrance exam and interview

Top Universities in the UAE: Admission and Language Requirements

The following criteria should be maintained by the international aspirants to get admission to the top universities in UAE based on the selected programs.

Top Universities in the UAE Entry Requirements

To get admission to the top universities in the UAE, international students need to have good scores in their X and XII examinations. The basic personal documents required for admission to the top universities or colleges in the UAE are as follows:

  • Completed application Form
  • Receipt of Application Fee (if required)
  • Transcripts
  • Copies of passport size photograph
  • Copy of passport and other supporting documents
  • CV
  • Letter of Recommendation (if required)

Note: The application forms for the specific courses can be filled online from the official website of the university.

Top Universities in the UAE English Language Requirements

90% of the universities and colleges in the UAE require English language proficiency test scores for admission. The top universities in the UAE have specific requirements on English language proficiency for bachelor's and master's courses. Although the standards of the test score requirements are unique for each university, however, the average minimum test scores are listed below:

Undergraduate Aspirants:

Graduate Course Aspirants:

  • IELTS: 6.5
  • TOEFL iBT: 80

Top Universities in the UAE: Costs

The fees and other expenses play a vital role in the selection of colleges by young students. The tuition fees at most of the private colleges in the UAE ranges between 22,500-1,23,000 AED (equivalent to 4,49,000-24,56,000 INR).

Some of the most affordable universities in the UAE are:

  • The Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
  • BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus with bachelors starting at 5,500 AED (equivalent to 1,10,000 INR) per year.

Students Accommodation Costs

The accommodation costs of the students in the UAE widely vary according to the institutions and their locations. The cost of living on the campus of the university housing ranges around 2,250-13,500 AED (equivalent to 45,000-2,70,000 INR) per year.

If the applicant chooses to live in a flat near their university, the cost would be on the higher side. The monthly rent of a flat in the UAE ranges between 3,250-9,000 AED (equivalent to 64,000-1,80,000 INR). The living and transport cost of the students depend on their lifestyle and the distance of their residence from the campus.

Top Universities in the UAE: Scholarships

Enriched with international students, the top colleges and universities in the UAE offer a number of scholarships to meritorious students. Here are some of the finest scholarship programs available for overseas students in the UAE:

University Scholarship Eligibility Criteria Grant Details
United Arab Emirates University United Arab Emirates University Scholarships for International Students 97% in 12 grade,
7 in IELTS, 680 in Math SAT, or 1500 in Math EmSAT
100% tuition waiver
Khalifa University President’s Scholarship EmSAT English 1400 and EmSAT Math 1200, CGPA of 3.3 100% tuition fees
American University of Sharjah Chancellor’s Scholars Award Avg. of 95% or equivalent in last three years of secondary education 75-100% of tuition, lab and housing fees
University of Sharjah Undergraduate High School Discounts 90% or more in high school results 50% discount on tuition fees
NYU Abu Dhabi Financial Support Student need to file a CSS profile application and have needy family conditions Full cost of tuition, living, miscellaneous and travel fares to country of origin to eligible students

The professional attitude of the people in the UAE captivates the young students to study in the top-ranked universities and seek a career in the country. Being the loadstone of business and employment in the middle east region, with a cooperative educational atmosphere, UAE deserves to be the center of attraction of the international students planning to study in the middle east.