In this article at World Scholars Hub, we’d take a look at the cheapest universities in UAE for international students to enable you to study in the Asian country on the cheap.
The United Arab Emirates may not be the first choice for International Students, but it has proven to be one of the best options for studying in the Gulf region.
Studying in one of the cheapest Universities in the UAE for international students comes with some benefits such as; students can enjoy the sun and the sea as well as tax-free earnings after graduating while studying at cheap rates. Great right?
If are you looking for a great place to study, then you should write down the UAE on your list. With these low-tuition universities in the United Arab Emirates for international students, you can start and finish a world-class degree without financial worry of any sort.
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Requirements of Studying in the United Arab Emirates
Student applicants need to present a high school/bachelor’s certificate to enroll in any institution of education. In some UAE universities, students may need to meet up a certain grade as well (that is 80% for UAE University).
Proof of English proficiency is also needed. This can be done and presented to the university by taking the IELTS or the EmSAT exam.
Is Studying in English at Emirate Universities Possible?
Yes, it is! In fact, Khalifa University for one offers an English program with three 3-credit courses. Schools such as the UAE University also offer English courses, where students who meet certain exam grades are exempted.
So below are the 10 Cheapest Universities in the UAE for International students which we have listed for you in no particular order of preference.
10 Cheapest Universities in the UAE for International Students
1. University of Sharjah
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from AED 31,049 ($8,453) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from AED 45,675 ($12,435) per year.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
The University of Sharjah or commonly called UOS is a private educational institution situated in University City, UAE.
It was founded in the year 1997 by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, and was established to meet the academic needs of this region at that time.
With the undergraduate tuition fee starting from $8,453 per year, the University of Sharjah is the cheapest university in the UAE for international students.
From its conception to the present day, it is listed as one of the best universities in UAE and Asia – aside from being one of the best ‘young’ institutions in the world.
This university also has 4 campuses which are in Kalba, Dhaid, and Khor Fakkan, and is proud of having the highest number of accredited programs in the UAE. It offers 54 bachelor’s, 23 master’s, and 11 doctorate degrees.
These degrees have the following courses/programs: Sharia & Islamic Studies, the Arts & Humanities, Business, Engineering, Health, Law, Fine Arts & Design, Communications, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Science, and Informatics.
The University of Sharjah is one of the schools in the UAE with so many international students, having 58% of its 12,688 students population coming from various countries.
2. Aldar University College
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from AED 36,000 per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: N/A (Bachelor’s degrees only).
The Aldar University College was established in the year 1994. It was created to provide students with practical aptitude and industry-essential skills.
Apart from offering normal bachelor’s degrees, this academic institution in the UAE also offers associate programs and English language courses.
These classes are offered during the weekdays (that is mornings and evenings) as well as weekends in order to meet students’ different schedules.
At Aldar University College, students can major in the following: Engineering (Communications, Computer, or Electrical), Automatic Control Systems, or Information Technology. Degrees in Business Administration, Accounting, Marketing, Finance, Industrial Management, Hospitality, and Public Relations are available as well. Aldar University College offers scholarships even to international students.
Presently, accepted applicants are entitled to a 10% discount every semester. In case this is not enough, international students may also work 6 hours a day to finance their studies at Aldar.
3. American University in the Emirates
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from AED 36,750 per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from AED 36,750 per year.
The American University of Emirates or also known as AUE was created in 2006. This private educational institution located in Dubai is also one of the cheapest universities in the UAE for international students offering a variety of programs through its 7 colleges.
These programs/fields of study include Business Administration, Law, Education, Design, Computer Information Technology, Security & Global Studies, and Media & Mass Communications. This school also provides unique Master’s degrees, such as Sports Management (Equine Track), Knowledge Management, and Sports Law. It also offers postgraduate courses in Business Administration, Security & Strategic Studies, Diplomacy, and Arbitration. AUE is accredited by both AACSB International (for its Business programs) and the Computing Accreditation Commission (for its IT courses).
4. Ajman University
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from AED 38,766 per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from AED 37,500 per year.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
Ajman University is one of the cheapest universities in the UAE for international students and it is ranked as one of the top 750 institutions according to the QS World University Rankings. It is also ranked the 35th-best university in the Arab region.
Established in June 1988, Ajman University is the first private school in the Gulf Cooperation Council. It was also the first university to begin to admit international students, and it has become a tradition was formed which has continued up until this day.
Situated in the Al-Jurf area, the university campus has mosques, restaurants, and sports facilities.
Also in this university, students can take undergraduate and graduate programs in these fields: Architecture & Design, Business, Dentistry, Engineering & Information Technology, Humanities, Law, Medicine, Mass Communication, and Pharmacy & Health Sciences.
The number of programs increases by the year, with the university recently introducing degrees in Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence.
5. Abu Dhabi University
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from AED 43,200 per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from AED 42,600 per year.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
Abu Dhabi University is one of the cheapest universities in UAE for international students, and also is the largest private educational institution in the country.
It was founded in 2003 following the efforts of the leader of that time, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Presently, it has 3 campuses in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Al Ain.
The university’s 55 programs are grouped and taught under the following colleges; the colleges of Arts & Science, Business, Engineering, Health Science, and Law. It is worth knowing that these degrees – among other factors – have helped this university rank the sixth position in the country according to the QS survey.
Abu Dhabi University, which plays host to 8,000 students, has foreign students coming from over 70 countries. These students may apply for any of the scholarships in the school which include Merit-based, Athletic, Academic, and Family-related bursaries.
6. Modul University Dubai
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from AED 53,948 per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from AED 43,350 per year.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
Modul University Dubai, also known as MU Dubai, is an international campus of Modul University Vienna. It was founded in 2016 and the new institution is located in the beautiful Jumeirah Lakes Towers.
The campus was recently placed in a newly constructed building and because of this, MU Dubai offers the finest features, including high-speed lifts, 24-security access, and even common prayer rooms.
As a relatively small university, presently MU Dubai only offers bachelor’s degrees in Tourism & Hospitality Management and International Management. At the graduate level, it offers an MSc in Sustainable Development as well as 4 innovative MBA tracks (General, Tourism & Hotel Development, Media & Information Management, and Entrepreneurship and thus is number 6 on our list of cheapest universities in the UAE for international students.
7. United Arab Emirates University
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from AED 57,000 per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from AED 57,000 per year.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
The United Arab Emirates University or UAEU is known by all as the best university in the country and is recognized as one of the finest in Asia and the world. Yet it is one of the cheapest universities in the UAE for international students.
It is also known as the oldest government-owned and funded school and It was founded by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1976 after the British occupation.
This also places the university amongst the best ‘young’ universities by THE World Rankings.
Located in Al-Ain, this affordable university in UAE provides undergraduate and graduate programs in the following fields: Business & Economics, Education, Food & Agriculture, Humanities & Social Science, Law, Information Technology, Medicine & Health, and Science.
UAEU has provided the country with successful and prominent people in society such as government ministers, businessmen, artists, and military officials.
As one of the top universities in the region, and one of the cheapest universities in the UAE for international students, UAEU attracts a lot of students from all over the world.
Presently, 18% of UAEU’s 7,270 student population comes from the 7 Emirates – and 64 other countries.
8. British University in Dubai
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: From AED 50,000.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: AED 75,000.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
The British University in Dubai is a private research-based university situated in the Dubai international academic city of the United Arab Emirates.
It was established in 2004 and was founded in partnership with three other universities which are; the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Manchester.
Since its creation, this university which is among the cheapest universities in the UAE for international students has become one of the fast-developing academic institutions in the country. The majority of the courses taught at this university focus on providing postgraduate education.
Close to 8 undergraduate degrees are offered which focus on the fields of business, accounting, and engineering.
In addition, several more master’s programs are offered in the same fields as well as in information technology.
9. Khalifa University
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: From AED 3000 per credit hour.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: AED 3,333 per credit hour.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
Khalifa University was founded in 2007 and is located in the city of Abu Dhabi.
It is a science-focused private educational institution and it is also one of the cheapest universities in the UAE for international students.
This university was initially founded with the vision of contributing to the country’s post-oil future.
The university has more than 3500 students studying its courses currently. It also operates through a college of engineering academically that provides close to 12 undergraduate bachelor’s programs as well as 15 postgraduate programs, which are all focusing on different fields of engineering.
It further maintained partnerships/mergers with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology as well as the Petroleum Institute.
10. Alhosn University
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: From AED 30,000.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: From AED 35,000 to 50,000.
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Link
The last on our list of the cheapest universities in the UAE for international students is Alhosn University.
This private institution is planted in the city of Abu Dhabi and it was founded in the year 2005.
It is one of the few universities in the country that consists of a male and a female campus that are separated from each other.
In the year 2019, this university in the UAE began offering 18 undergraduate programs and 11 postgraduate programs. These are learned under 3 faculties namely; the arts/social science, business, and engineering.
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