UAE's top universities revealed under new ranking system

Top universities in the UAE have been revealed by the ministry of education as per its newly-introduced National Higher Education Institutions Classification Framework.

The initial phase of assessment, based on the 'research cluster', covers ministry-licensed institutions offering master's, doctoral and bachelor's degrees.

The annual rankings take into account factors such as research and innovation, teaching quality and student life, as well as employment opportunities and international collaboration.

Based on their performance, the universities have been divided into four different groups, with the top-performers in Group 1.

The latest classification does not include institutions established within the last five years, those exclusively offering master's and doctoral programmes, and universities with revoked or suspended licenses.

Meanwhile, universities that only offer bachelor's or lower-level programmmes will be assessed in the second phase.

The ministry of education said that its latest initiative will enable students to select institutions that align with their interests and academic strengths,  and will also encourage universities to improve their competitiveness. 

"Working on the development of the framework has spanned six years, in collaboration with relevant entities. Ministry teams have conducted standard comparisons with internationally accredited university ranking systems," said Dr. Mohammad Al Mualla, Undersecretary for Higher Education Academic Affairs at the ministry.

"Communication with relevant local parties was prioritised to ensure alignment with the national vision and priorities. Classifications will be updated annually, starting from this year," he added.

The Ministry of Education has launched the National Higher Education Institutions Classification Framework, which is the first framework of its kind in the country.

This framework aims to improve the higher education system and enhance its competitiveness based on objective and… pic.twitter.com/topR0oJ34f

— وزارة التربية والتعليم (@MOEUAEofficial) June 27, 2024