16 public universities in United Arab Emirates in 2026
The public universities in United Arab Emirates offer accessible education to as many students as possible, with recognised programs and a strong tradition of academic research.
16 public universities
United Arab Emirates has public institutions offering a wide range of programs, often with government-regulated fees and a strong tradition of academic research.
Rabdan Academy
A public Abu Dhabi institution dedicated to safety, security, defence, emergency preparedness and resilience.
Khalifa Bin Zayed Air College
The UAE's military aviation academy: training fighter pilots, helicopter crews, UAV operators and air defence.
Emirates College for Advanced Education
A public teacher-training institute in Abu Dhabi: education degrees from bachelor's to doctorate level.
Fatimah College of Health Sciences
A public health-sciences institution named in honour of Sheikha Fatima, the "Mother of the UAE".
Abu Dhabi School of Management
Abu Dhabi's public business school, dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership.
Higher Colleges of Technology
The UAE's largest applied higher education system, with sixteen campuses across the country.
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi – Abu Dhabi
The first international campus of IIT Delhi, opened in 2024 in Abu Dhabi: BTech, master's and PhD programmes.
Abu Dhabi Polytechnic
Abu Dhabi's public polytechnic: aviation, petroleum and cybersecurity technologies.
University of Al Dhaid
A new public university (2024) in Sharjah's central region: veterinary medicine, agriculture and the humanities.
University of Sharjah
A major public university founded in 1998 by the Ruler of Sharjah: medicine, engineering, law and the sciences.
Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University
Ras Al Khaimah's medical university: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing, since 2006.
United Arab Emirates University
The UAE's first national university, founded in 1976 in Al Ain: a comprehensive model from bachelor's to PhD.
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University
The UAE's first accredited smart university (2002): e-learning in business, quality, health and education.
Khalifa University of Science and Technology
The UAE's top-ranked research university (QS 2027: 147th worldwide), dedicated to STEM and medicine.
Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences
The first medical university of Dubai Healthcare City: medicine, dentistry, nursing and midwifery.
Zayed University
A federal UAE university founded in 1998, with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.