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UAE climbs global student city rankings as Abu Dhabi records biggest rise
Dubai ranked fifth globally for Student Voice and 23rd for Desirability, which measures factors such as safety, environment and lifestyle
- PUBLISHED: Tue 21 Jul 2026, 1:23 PM
The UAE has strengthened its position as a global study destination, with four cities featuring in the QS Best Student Cities 2027 rankings and Abu Dhabi emerging as the biggest riser among Emirati cities.
Abu Dhabi climbed eight places to 72nd globally, while Dubai ranked 79th overall and secured an impressive fifth place worldwide for Student Voice — a measure based on feedback from international students.
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The latest rankings highlight a trend increasingly visible across the country: students value the UAE's safety, diversity, lifestyle and overall study experience. While the global reputation and scale of its universities are still developing, the country's appeal among students continues to grow.
Students rate UAE cities highly for quality of life
Abu Dhabi and Dubai emerged as the country’s strongest performers, driven largely by positive student perceptions.
Dubai ranked fifth globally for Student Voice and 23rd for Desirability, which measures factors such as safety, environment and lifestyle. Abu Dhabi ranked 21st globally for Student Voice and climbed more than 30 places in Desirability to reach 43rd position. Together, the results suggest that students view both cities as among the world's most attractive places to live and study.
Sharjah placed 80th overall and Al Ain ranked 109th. Sharjah stood out for its international student mix, ranking 60th globally on that measure.
Jessica Turner, Chief Executive Officer of QS, said the UAE has built a strong foundation for future growth.
“The UAE has built something many older systems envy — cities that students genuinely love, and a rising base of universities that increasingly attract talent from around the world,” she said.
Referring to Dubai's ambition to become one of the world's leading student destinations, Turner added, “Dubai's ambition to be counted among the world's top ten student cities by 2033 is a serious one, and the foundations, desirability, student satisfaction and world-leading international faculty, are already in place.”
Building towards a global education hub
The rankings come as Dubai accelerates efforts under its Education 33 (E33) strategy, which aims to increase the share of international students in higher education to 50 per cent by 2033, up from around 35 per cent today. The emirate also plans to expand the number of international universities operating locally from 37 to more than 70.
The UAE already hosts a large number of international branch campuses, including institutions linked to globally recognised universities. Authorities have also introduced student and graduate visa pathways and streamlined processes for foreign academic programmes.
Recent QS data suggests the strategy is beginning to yield results. Khalifa University entered the global top 150 in the QS World University Rankings 2027, becoming the first Emirati institution to achieve the milestone. The UAE now has six universities in the world's top 500, double the number recorded five years ago.
Turner said the next challenge is strengthening institutional reputation and attracting a broader international student base.
“The task now is scale — deepening the global standing of its universities and broadening its international student body, so that the strength students already feel on the ground is matched in the institutional metrics,” she said.
“On its current trajectory, that is an achievable goal.”
