Study in UAE: Top Universities, Cost, Eligibility, Funding, Visa & Scope for International Students

UAE is one of the fast-emerging and growing study abroad destinations having the presence of various universities and institutions from different countries like the UK, France, the USA, Australia, and India. Apart from getting to study with UAE’s top universities, students can choose to pursue higher education with the campuses of these foreign universities and institutions. 

The UAE government is also committed to increasing study abroad programs and opening its policies to welcome international students like offering a 5-year study and resident permit that allows the international students to work full time after completion of studies and part-time while they are completing their education.

Around 80,000 international students study in three state-funded and more than 50 private yet world-class institutions. The study in UAE has English as the medium of instruction and the tuition fees can be competitive compared to the western world but there is no dearth of scholarships to finance the education for international students. 

International students planning to study in UAE money spent on tuition fees vary from 48,000 AED to 120,000 AED. The cost of living in UAE as an international student for a single person is 8,200 AED. International students pursuing higher education in UAE are allowed to work part-time also and have plenty of job opportunities facilitating them to earn their expenses of studying and living in UAE. Post-completion of their education, they can expect to earn up to 108,000 to 276,000 AED a year.

Top Universities to Study in UAE

Students have a wide range of institutions to select and decide their choice of courses and city where they would like to live and study. UAE is the flagship university of the country and offers many internally accredited courses. Zayed University is an all-female university and many world-class institutions are concentrated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

As the medium of instruction is English, international students are required to demonstrate language proficiency through one of the standardized language tests before seeking admission to one of the universities.

BITS Pilani and Amity University from India also have their campuses in UAE. Amongst the list of renowned universities and higher education institutions following eight are the top-ranked universities of UAE:

Some of the foreign universities where international students can enroll and study in UAE are:

For those of you planning to study in the UAE enrolling with these foreign universities can help you cut down the original cost of studying on home campuses and can also help you get exposed to the multicultural environment of the UAE. 

Admission Process to Study in UAE

The Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral degree and diploma programs are available in various subject areas and as an international student, you have to choose the program that suits your requirements the best. English Language proficiency tests are to be taken by the students prior to seeking admission as that is one requirement every overseas student needs to fulfill. It is important that before seeking admission the aspirants have to gather all the relevant information. This will help in saving time while filling the application and will also help in ascertaining that you fulfill all the eligibility criteria. 

Admission Requirements to Study in UAE

• Completed Application form
• Application fee
• Educational transcripts starting from High school education till the recently completed academic degree/diploma etc.
• Resume
• Statement of Purpose
• Evidence of Financial worthiness
• Reference letters
• English language proficiency test scores- IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, etc
• Passport Size photographs

Applicants are advised to check the program-specific requirements. After submitting the applications, you need to wait for some time to get the acceptance letter which is required for applying for the study visa.

Explore How to Apply to UAE Universities!

Admission Requirements for Popular Courses to Study in UAE

Specific admission requirements for some of the popular programs of UAE are tabulated as follows:

Visa to Study in UAE

UAE is keen to get international students and because of their policy to encourage this, they started with a 5-year study and work visa. The students can get a simple study visa also. The visa can be applied online or offline. The study visa is generally issued for a year and needs to be renewed every year by the student while he continues his studies in UAE. The visa cost for international students is around 7576 AED.

Documents required to apply for UAE study permit are:

• Passport with validity of a minimum of 6 months. Two blank pages must be there in the passport for stamping the required visa.
• Application form duly filled.
• Educational transcripts in English
• Passport and its copies
• Photographs
• Acceptance letter from the UAE university/Institution
• Evidence of financial worthiness
• Copy of tuition fee receipt
• Accommodation arrangements in UAE
• Medical examination done at the authorized medical centers.
• Health Insurance for a minimum of 12 months

The process of the application normally takes 5-7 days. In case of delays, you can expect the visa outcome within 15 days.

Cost of Study in UAE

If you are planning to study in the UAE, the cost will be one of the most important factors to consider. Though there are plenty of financial aids available to study in the UAE, having an estimate of the costs needed helps a student in planning their budget accordingly.

Tuition Fees to Study in UAE

Tuition fees are dependent on the type of program, level of study, duration and the institution one is applying for. It is to be noted here that UAE is much cheaper than other studies abroad destinations.

Popular Program Fees to Study in UAE

Various popular programs have different fees for studying in UAE. The above fees is calculated by taking an overall average of the courses while some of the program fees are as follows:

Cost of Living in UAE

UAE is a unique blend of modernity and tradition. The cost of living is high in certain areas and moderate in others. The most expensive emirate is Dubai. The average cost of living can be corroborated as under:

The cost of living per person per month can be taken as 3,000 AED on average. Some of the expenses that are miscellaneous are discussed below:

• Utilities: 202 AED/month
• Internet: 360/month
• Local transportation: 220/month
• Pint of beer: 40
• Cinema tickets: 40
• Fast-food combinations: 28

The rentals are quite high and Dubai rentals per year can be tabulated as follows:

Study in UAE with Scholarships

The universities offer a various full tuition fee waivers or partial scholarships to the students to encourage them to study in UAE. These scholarships combined with part timework opportunities some time are able to fund the entire study costs of the students.

Some of the scholarships offered by UAE institutions are as follows:

There are various other institution-specific scholarships also offered in UAE and students are advised to go through the details of institutional scholarships before applying for a course.

Work Permit in UAE

The UAE government has introduced a 5-year study and residence permit for international students that provides an opportunity to work part-time while studying and full-time after graduation. Any student studying on a normal study visa needs permission to work as in UAE without a work visa students are also not allowed to work.

The study visa is issued for a year and renewed every year whereas the 5-year study and residence visa does not have that hassle. Obtaining work visas is not difficult in UAE as the Labor offer is approved through the employers and qualified people can obtain a visa through the transparent system of the country.

Job after Study in UAE

Some of the highest paying recruiters to employ after pursuing your higher education with UAE are:

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Some of the highest paying designations after study in UAE are:

Overall UAE provides world-class education and ample opportunities for employment as many new foreign companies have set up their businesses in the country. International students have the opportunity to build their careers through the education and working opportunities provided by the country.

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