List of universities and colleges in the United Arab Emirates

Higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates need to be recognized by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), which operates as part of the Ministry of Education.^[1] While the Ministry of Education is the federal governing body for higher education and education in general, some emirates might still have their own agencies which oversee certain aspects of higher education within the emirate, such as Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) or Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK).

Only institutions that have received CAA accreditation from the Ministry of Education are listed below.

List of universities and colleges

Institute name
Abu Dhabi Polytechnic
Abu Dhabi School of Management
Abu Dhabi University
Al Ain University
Al Khawarizmi International College
Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy
Emirates Academy for Identity & Citizenship
Emirates College for Advanced Education
Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies, Abu Dhabi Campus
Fatima College of Health Sciences
Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi Campus
INSEAD, Middle East Campus in Abu Dhabi
Joint Command and Staff College, Abu Dhabi
Khalifa Bin Zayed Air College
Khalifa University
Liwa College of Technology (formerly Emirates College of Technology)
Mohammed bin Zayed University for Human Sciences
National Defense College
New York University, Abu Dhabi
Police College Abu Dhabi
Rabdan Academy
Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Naval College
Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates University
Zayed II Military College
Zayed University, Abu Dhabi Campus
Ajman University
City University College of Ajman
Gulf Medical University
Western University College^[2]
British University College ^[3]
Abu Dhabi University, Dubai
Al Dar University College
Al Falah University^[4]
Al Ghurair University
American College of Dubai
American University in Dubai
American University in the Emirates
Amity University Dubai
Atlas Educational Institute Dubai^[5]
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
British University in Dubai
Canadian University Dubai
The College Of Fashion And Design Dubai
City, University of London Dubai Centre
Curtin University
Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation
Dubai Medical College For Girls
Dubai Pharmacy College For Girls
Dubai Police Academy
Emirates Academy Of Hospitality Management
Emirates Aviation University
Emirates College For Management And Information Technology [on probation, no new admissions]
Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies, Dubai
Esmod French Fashion Institute
European University College [on probation, no new admissions]
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University
Heriot-Watt University
Higher Colleges Of Technology - Dubai Branch
Hult International Business School
Imam Malik College For Islamic Sharia And Law
Institute of Management Technology - Dubai
Islamic And Arabic Studies College – Dubai
Islamic Azad University
Jumeira University
London Business School
Maktoum Bin Hamdan Dental University College [on probation, no new admissions]
Manipal University
MENA College of Management^[6]
Lincoln University of Business and Management^[7]
Michigan State University in Dubai
Middlesex University Dubai
MODUL University Dubai
Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government
Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Moscow University for Industry and Finance (Synergy)
Murdoch University Dubai
Rochester Institute of Technology of Dubai
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
S P Jain School of Global Management
SAE Institute
Saint Joseph University
Saint-Petersburg State Economic University
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology
Strathclyde Business School Dubai
The National Institute for Vocational Education
The University of Manchester Worldwide
University Of Balamand In Dubai [on probation, no new admissions]
University of Birmingham Dubai
University of Bradford Regional Hub, Dubai
University of Dubai
University of Exeter^{[citation needed]}
University of Jazeera [on probation, no new admissions]
University Of Modern Sciences [on probation, no new admissions]
University of South Wales, Dubai
University of Wollongong in Dubai.^[8]
Zayed University, Dubai
University of Fujairah
Higher Colleges of Technology, Fujairah Campus
University of Science and Technology of Fujairah
American University of Ras al Khaimah
Barha University, Ras Al Khaimah Campus
Higher Colleges of Technology, Ras Al Khaimah Campus
Ras Al Khaimah Medical & Health Sciences University
Al Qasimia University
American University of Sharjah
Arab Academy for Science, Technology, & Maritime Transport, Sharjah Campus
Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies, Sharjah Campus
Westford University College
Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah Campus
King's Business School^[9]
Lincoln University of Business and Management^[10]
Police Sciences Academy
Sharjah Education Academy
Sharjah Performing Arts Academy
Skyline University College
UOK
UOS
Umm Al Quwain University

International rankings

These are the universities' rankings in 2019 according to THE (Times Higher Education)^[11] and in 2020 according to QS (Quacquarelli Symonds).^[12] Definitions of categories used for measurement of both THE and QS are missing. It would be helpful if the UAE provided its own rankings according to its own measurement system. The Tuning Project 2000 is integrated in the THE rankings in order to accommodate local and cultural diversity and to ameliorate rankings with 'Western' bias.

Institution	2019 (THE)	2020 (QS)
University of Birmingham	116	81
American University of Sharjah	801-1000	371
United Arab Emirates University	351-400	329
Khalifa University	301-350	268
American University in Dubai	-	601-650
University of Wollongong	218	212
University of Sharjah	801-1000	651-700
Abu Dhabi University	-	701-750
Ajman University	-	751-800

Institutions located within free zones

The Ministry of Education does not recognize educational institutions based in free zones. While individual Emirates are responsible for managing the standards of educational institutions within their free zones, Dubai is the only Emirate that does so through the Knowledge and Human Development Authority's (KHDA) University Quality Assurance International Board. The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is currently working on tightening rules and regulations that govern higher academic institutions within free zones in the Emirate.^[13]