UAE higher education policy’s impact: Four universities now in top 500

UAE higher education policy’s impact: Four universities now in top 500

UAE climbs the ladder in QS World University ranking

Ravi Shankar Chand, chief academic advisor, Uniplus Education, UAE

Published: Wed 16 Aug 2023, 5:59 PM Last updated: Wed 16 Aug 2023, 6:02 PM

In the last decade, universities in the Gulf region have made remarkable progress in the QS World University Rankings. According to QS data, universities in the UAE have made the most significant progress in the region, but universities in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait have also shown progress.

The QS World University Rankings is an annual publication ranking the world's top universities based on several indicators such as academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, and research citations. The rankings provide an authoritative guide to the world's top universities and are widely used by students, academics, and governments to identify the best institutions.

According to the latest QS World University Rankings released in 2024, the UAE has four universities in the top 500, with the highest-ranked being the Khalifa University at 230th place. The Khalifa University has shown remarkable progress in the last decade, having moved up 220 places since 2015.

Other UAE universities that have shown progress in the QS rankings include UAE University (ranked 290th), the American University of Sharjah