Higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates need to be recognized by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), which operates as part of the Ministry of Education.[1] While the Ministry of Education is the federal governing body for higher education and education in general, some emirates might still have their own agencies which oversee certain aspects of higher education within the emirate, such as Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) or Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK).
Only institutions that have received CAA accreditation from the Ministry of Education are listed below.[2]
These are the universities' rankings of 2024 & 2025 according to QS (Quacquarelli Symonds).[5] Definitions of categories used for measurement of QS are missing. It would be helpful if the UAE provided its own rankings according to its own measurement system.
| Institution | 2024 (QS) | 2025 (QS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khalifa University | 230 | 202 | |
| 290 | 261 | ||
| American University of Sharjah | 364 | 332 | |
| University of Sharjah | 465 | 434 | |
| Ajman University | 551 | 477 | |
| American University of Ras Al Khaimah | - | 485 | |
| 580 | 501 | ||
| Canadian University Dubai | 551 | 523 | |
| 621-630 | 601-610 | ||
| 851-900 | 801-850 |
The Ministry of Education does not recognize educational institutions based in free zones. While individual Emirates are responsible for managing the standards of educational institutions within their free zones, Dubai is the only Emirate that does so through the Knowledge and Human Development Authority's (KHDA) University Quality Assurance International Board. The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is currently working on tightening rules and regulations that govern higher academic institutions within free zones in the Emirate.[6]