United Arab Emirates University ranks 1st in UAE in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

ABU DHABI, 27th March, 2026 (WAM) — United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), marking its 50th anniversary, has strengthened its global academic standing by ranking among the world’s leading universities in 21 subjects in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

The 2026 edition assessed more than 18,300 academic programmes across over 1,700 universities in 100 locations, covering 55 disciplines and five broad faculty areas.

UAEU recorded improvement in eight subjects and maintained its presence across all five broad subject areas for the fourth consecutive year, with four areas showing progress. Its global rankings are Engineering and Technology at 216, Social Sciences and Management at 272, Natural Sciences at 303, Life Sciences and Medicine at 310, and Arts and Humanities at 391.

At the national level, UAEU ranked first in the UAE for Life Sciences and Medicine and Social Sciences and Management, and second for Engineering and Technology and Natural Sciences.

The university also ranked first in the UAE in seven individual subjects and shared first place in three others. It is among the top 200 globally in four subjects, reflecting its growing international impact.

The QS rankings are based on indicators including academic and employer reputation, research impact through citations per paper and the H-index, and the International Research Network measuring global collaboration.

Across the UAE, 96 programmes from 14 institutions were ranked, highlighting the strength of the country’s higher education sector.

Prof Ahmed Ali Alraeesi, Vice Chancellor of UAEU, said, “As we mark 50 years of UAEU’s legacy, these results reflect our continued commitment to academic excellence, impactful research and global engagement.”

He added, “Our performance in the QS Subject Rankings 2026 highlights the dedication of our faculty, researchers and students, and reinforces UAEU’s role in advancing knowledge and innovation in the UAE and beyond.”

UAEU said its performance reflects its strategic vision to deliver high-quality education, advance research and contribute to national and global development.