United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the country’s oldest university. It was founded in 1976 and is based in Al Ain, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it rose 12 places to 217th in the world, its highest-ever position and second in the UAE. It ranked first among UAE universities for academic reputation.
UAEU is a public university that mainly serves Emiratis, but it admits international students to its bachelor’s degrees on a competitive basis. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on UAEU’s own guidance and official UAE government information.
1. Choose your college and programme
UAEU has nine colleges, including engineering, computing and artificial intelligence, science, business and economics, law, education, humanities and social sciences, agriculture and veterinary medicine, and medicine and health sciences. Two programmes are largely closed to international students. The Doctor of Medicine admits international students only if they have funding to cover their tuition for the whole degree, and the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine admits them only with a scholarship, high grades and the dean’s approval. Both have a single fall intake.
2. Apply during the announced admission period
UAEU admits undergraduates in the fall and spring semesters, but you can only apply online during the admission periods it announces, so check its admissions pages regularly. The application fee is AED 210, including VAT. Once you’ve applied, upload all your documents and watch your email for updates and the decision. UAEU: admission requirements for international students.
3. Aim well above the minimum average
International applicants need a high school average of at least 90 per cent or its equivalent for engineering, computing and artificial intelligence, science, agriculture and the health sciences. For business and economics, humanities and social sciences, education and law, the minimum is 85 per cent. Admission is competitive, and UAEU gives priority to applicants with higher results and more recent high school graduation, so meeting the minimum doesn’t guarantee a place.
4. Meet the maths and science requirements
For engineering, computing, science and the health sciences, you need 90 per cent in maths, or a SAT Math score of 590, an AP Math score of 4, IB Higher Level Maths at 5 or an A Level grade B. You also need the same level in the sciences your college asks for, which for engineering means physics plus chemistry or biology. Business, agriculture and law ask for 80 per cent in maths, or a SAT Math score of 555, AP 3, IB HL 4 or an A Level grade C. Law also requires 90 per cent in Arabic or a score of 6.0 on the Al Ain Arabic Language Test.
5. Meet the English requirement
You need IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 70 or TOEFL ITP 525. TOEFL ITP only counts if it was taken in the UAE, and UAEU doesn’t accept the IELTS Indicator, the TOEFL iBT Home Edition or Duolingo. If you’re a native English speaker who studied at an English-medium school in a country where English is an official language, you may be exempt. Practise with our free IELTS, TOEFL and PTE practice tests.
6. Get your certificate equated and meet the other conditions
If your high school certificate doesn’t follow the UAE Ministry of Education curriculum, you need an equivalency certificate from the Ministry. You mustn’t be older than 35 when you apply, and you mustn’t have been dismissed from another institution for academic or disciplinary reasons. You also need to meet the health requirements for your programme. If you have a medical condition or a disability, you must disclose it and attach the medical documents when you apply.
7. Go for a Chancellor’s Scholarship
Since 2025-26, international students can receive tuition discounts. The Chancellor’s Scholarship for Elite Students covers all your tuition if you have at least 98 per cent in high school, IELTS 7.5 or TOEFL iBT 105, and, for most colleges, a SAT Math score of 730 or ACT Math 32. A 75 per cent discount is available with 95 per cent in high school, IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 85, and a SAT Math score of 660 or ACT Math 28. You apply as part of your admission application. To keep the full scholarship, you must maintain a GPA of 3.8 and take at least 15 credit hours a semester. The scholarships don’t cover housing or application fees. UAEU: undergraduate scholarships.
8. Ask about fees before you commit
UAEU doesn’t publish its undergraduate tuition fees for international students on its website, so contact its admissions team for the current rate for your programme before you accept an offer. As a guide to its pricing, most of its engineering master’s degrees cost AED 2,400 per credit hour under the fees published for 2025-26. Remember to budget for housing, health insurance and living costs in Al Ain, and check whether any scholarship you’re offered depends on your grades each semester.
9. Get your student residence visa through UAEU
If you aren’t a UAE or GCC national and don’t already live in the UAE, UAEU sponsors your student residence visa once you’ve accepted your place. The university first gets you an entry permit, which you use to travel to the UAE. After you arrive, you have a medical fitness test and register for your Emirates ID, and your residence visa is then issued. Your passport must be valid for at least six months. Don’t enter the UAE on a tourist visa while your permit is being processed, because changing your status later costs extra and causes delays. If your parents live in the UAE, they can sponsor you instead. You must study full-time to keep a university-sponsored visa, and health insurance is compulsory. UAEU’s international student services team handles new residence visas and Emirates IDs for its students. UAE Government portal: residence visa for studying in the UAE.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
Working while you study is tightly controlled in the UAE. Because your visa is sponsored by UAEU, you need its permission before you take any job, and the main options are paid on-campus roles and internships approved by the university. A private employer can only hire you with a student training and employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), which lasts three months. The UAE has no general post-study work visa, so after you graduate you’ll usually need an employer to sponsor a work visa. Recent graduates of universities in the world’s top 500 can get a single-entry jobseeker visit visa of 60, 90 or 120 days to look for work without a sponsor. Top graduates of UAE universities can apply for a 10-year Golden Visa within two years of graduating if their cumulative GPA is at least 3.5 at a university in the Ministry of Education’s Category A, or 3.8 at a Category B university. MOHRE: student training and employment permit, UAE Government portal: jobseeker visit visa and ICP: Golden Residency guide.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at UAEU?
All nine of UAEU’s colleges offer graduate programmes, and you apply online in the admission cycles published by its College of Graduate Studies. Meeting the minimum requirements doesn’t guarantee a place, as UAEU also considers where you studied. UAEU doesn’t provide housing for graduate students, so plan to rent nearby. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
UAEU’s places for international students are limited, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Khalifa University, American University of Sharjah, University of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi University. Our guide to studying in the UAE explains how the system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from UAEU’s official admission requirements for international students, its scholarship, fee and e-services pages, the UAE Government portal, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on UAEU’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with United Arab Emirates University.