52 cheapest universities in United Arab Emirates in 2026
The most affordable universities in United Arab Emirates, ranked by minimum bachelor fees. Ideal for optimising your study budget.
Lowest fee
20,160 AED/yr
Price range
52 universities ranked by increasing fees
No. 25British University in Dubai
A research-led, mainly postgraduate university founded in 2004 with the backing of leading UK universities.
No. 26American University of Ras Al Khaimah
An American-style university founded in 2009 in Ras Al Khaimah, covering engineering, business, computing and the humanities.
No. 27Batterjee Medical College Dubai
Dubai branch of Saudi Arabia's first private medical college, focused on health sciences and allied health professions.
No. 28Higher Colleges of Technology
The UAE's largest applied higher education system, with sixteen campuses across the country.
No. 29Abu Dhabi Polytechnic
Abu Dhabi's public polytechnic: aviation, petroleum and cybersecurity technologies.
No. 30SAE University College Dubai
The Dubai campus of the SAE network, offering Australian-accredited creative degrees in audio, film, animation, design and games.
No. 31University of Wollongong in Dubai
A pioneer of Australian higher education in Dubai since 1993, the campus of the University of Wollongong.
No. 32De Montfort University Dubai
The Dubai campus of De Montfort University Leicester, opened in 2021 in Dubai International Academic City.
No. 33Istituto Marangoni Dubai
The Dubai campus of the famed Italian fashion and design school, training creatives and fashion business professionals.
No. 34Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Dubai
The Dubai campus of Russia's oldest economics university: finance, marketing, fintech and management programmes.
No. 35Canadian University Dubai
A private Canadian-style university in central Dubai, ranked first in Dubai by the QS Arab Region Rankings.
No. 36Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai
The UAE campus of Rochester Institute of Technology, focused on engineering, computing and business in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
No. 37Curtin University Dubai
The UAE campus of Australia's Curtin University, opened in 2017 in Dubai International Academic City.
No. 38Rabdan Academy
A public Abu Dhabi institution dedicated to safety, security, defence, emergency preparedness and resilience.
No. 39EM Normandie in the UAE
The only French business school licensed by the UAE Ministry of Education, offering a bachelor and master's degrees in Dubai.
No. 40Zayed University
A federal UAE university founded in 1998, with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
No. 41Emirates Aviation University
The Middle East's leading aviation university, part of the Emirates Group, founded in 1991 in Dubai.
No. 42Khalifa University of Science and Technology
The UAE's top-ranked research university (QS 2027: 147th worldwide), dedicated to STEM and medicine.
No. 43United Arab Emirates University
The UAE's first national university, founded in 1976 in Al Ain: a comprehensive model from bachelor's to PhD.
No. 44Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation
A Dubai design school created with MIT and Parsons, located in the Dubai Design District creative quarter.
No. 45Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University Dubai
The Dubai campus of France's leading law university, offering an LL.B., LL.M. and BSc, hosted at the DIFC.
No. 46American University in Dubai
An American-style Dubai university accredited in the United States (SACSCOC), in the heart of the city's creative district.
No. 47ESMOD French Fashion Institute Dubai
The only specialised French fashion school in the Middle East, based in Dubai since 2006: fashion design and fashion business.
No. 48American University of Sharjah
A non-profit American university founded in 1997, ranked among the best in the UAE by QS.