UAE Universities Make Strides in Global Rankings

Rising to the Top: UAE Universities Climb Global Rankings

Universities in the United Arab Emirates have made remarkable progress in the latest international higher education rankings. According to the 2025 Global 2000 list by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), four leading higher education institutions in the country have shown significant improvement, reflecting the UAE's commitment to academic excellence and innovation.

Significant Leaps Toward the Top

The most outstanding progress was achieved by Khalifa University, which climbed 30 places to rank 846th, placing it in the top 4 percent of universities worldwide. This is closely followed by the United Arab Emirates University, which advanced 91 places and currently holds the 1,022nd position (within the top 4.8 percent). The University of Sharjah also made notable strides, improving by 161 places to now rank 1,092nd, within the top 5.1 percent. NYU Abu Dhabi also made the list, ranking 1,116th, within the top 5.2 percent globally.

What Drives This Progress?

The UAE invests significant resources in developing educational and research infrastructure with a clear goal: to become a leading higher education hub in the region capable of competing with the global elite.

The CWUR ranking evaluates institutions based on four main criteria:

- Quality of education (25%),

- Employability (25%),

- Faculty excellence (10%),

- Research performance (40%).

A total of 21,462 universities were assessed, but only the top 2,000 made it onto the list, covering 94 countries.

Improvements in research outputs have been a key factor in the advancement of UAE universities, aligning with the country's long-term innovation and scientific strategies.

International Trends and Challenges

While the United States continues to dominate the rankings — with Harvard securing the top spot for the fourteenth consecutive time — the majority of American universities have slipped in the rankings. Of the 319 evaluated U.S. universities, only 40 improved their standings, while 264 declined. This may raise concerns among federal education policymakers.

Meanwhile, China is playing an increasingly significant role in global higher education, partly due to generous state funding that has persisted for many years. Today, more Chinese universities appear on the list than American ones, reshaping traditional power dynamics.

Europe has also seen declines: most universities in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Russia have fallen back. Among British institutions, for example, only 16 improved while 67 fell in ranking compared to the previous year.

The Future Key: A Knowledge-Based Society

The advancement of UAE universities is not just a statistical success. It signals a comprehensive strategy that sees the nation's long-term development founded on knowledge, education, and research. The fact that four universities have achieved significant rankings in a globally recognized ranking sends a strong message to the international community: the UAE aims to be at the forefront not only economically but also in the realms of science and education.

(Source of the article: Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) announcement.)