QS Best Student Cities ranking: =60th
Part of the largest and most populous metropolitan area in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), located on the eastern coast of the Arabian peninsula, Dubai is well-known for its skyscraper-laden skylines (with the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, standing in Dubai at a whopping 828m).
However, this city also possesses a rich cultural heritage and diversity, two things which help it to score impressively for student mix in this year’s ranking (51st).
There are more expats than Emirati nationals living in the UAE, and the area is no exception, with a hugely multicultural society made up of expats from a total of 200 nationalities around the world. A whopping 90 percent of the population is from outside the UAE, and although Arabic is the country’s official language, most people in Dubai speak English.
Dubai is well-known for its glorious weather and sandy beaches, luxury hotels and shopping malls, and is consistently rated highly for its quality of life (though unfortunately this does come with high costs of living).
This is a modern, safe metropolitan area with welcoming people who place importance on courtesy and hospitality. If you study in Dubai, it’s important to remember the UAE is a Muslim country and you should show respect for its culture and religion at all times, with different laws and customs to what you might be used to in your home country.
As well as the metro area's own universities, you can also study at a branch campus of international universities like the UK’s University of Birmingham, the US’ Rochester Institute of Technology and Canada’s University of Waterloo, which are based just outside the city at the Dubai International Academic City.
Dubai has also proved a hit with its students praising it in our student survey with comments such as “There’s a sense of belonging, this place is ready to welcome anyone” and “You get the best opportunity for higher education and to learn about multiple cultures”.
Internationally ranked universities in Dubai
American University of Sharjah; American University in Dubai; University of Sharjah |
More about Dubai
Number of universities ranked by QS |
3 |
Highest-ranked institution |
American University of Sharjah (371st) |
Population |
5,640,000 |
Average international fees (at ranked unis) |
US$16,000 |
Desirability rank |
40th |
Employer Activity rank |
91st |
Affordability rank |
66th |
Student View rank |
53rd |
To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.