Coinciding with its 50th anniversary, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) continues to strengthen its global academic reputation, and ranking among the world’s leading universities in 21 subjects in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

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

UAEU has demonstrated notable progress this year, with a ranking  improvement in eight subjects.  The University has also maintained its presence across all five broad subject areas for the fourth consecutive year, with four areas showing an improvement. UAEU’s global rankings in the five broad subject areas are as follows:

Engineering & Technology at 216, Social Sciences & Management at 272; Natural Sciences at 303; Life Sciences & Medicine at 310, and Arts & Humanities at 391.

At the national level, UAEU achieved outstanding results, ranking first in the UAE for Life Sciences & Medicine and Social Sciences & Management, and second in the UAE for Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences.

At the subject level, UAEU ranked first in the UAE in seven individual subjects, and shared first place in three additional subjects, further demonstrating its academic leadership across multiple disciplines. Notably, the University is ranked among the top 200 globally in four subjects, reflecting its growing international impact and research excellence.

The QS subject rankings are based on five key performance indicators, including academic and employer reputation drawn from over 200,000 global responses, as well as research impact measured through Citations per Paper and the H-index. The International Research Network (IRN) indicator further evaluates global research collaboration.

At the national level, the United Arab Emirates has 96 ranked programmes across 14 institutions, highlighting the strength and competitiveness of the country’s higher education sector.

His Excellency Prof Ahmed Ali Alraeesi, Vice Chancellor of UAEU, said: "As we celebrate 50 years of UAEU’s legacy, these results reflect our sustained commitment to academic excellence, impactful research, and global engagement. Our strong performance in the QS Subject Rankings 2026 is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, researchers, and students, and reinforces UAEU’s role as a leading institution driving knowledge and innovation in the UAE and beyond."

UAEU’s continued success in international rankings underscores its strategic vision to deliver high-quality education, advance research, and contribute meaningfully to national and global development.

For more information, please visit: https://www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings