United Arab Emirates
Introduction
With academic roots stretching back to 1824 and claims to 26 Nobel prizes and the ACM Turing Award 2022, The University of Manchester is one of the world’s leading institutions. This is confirmed in numerous rankings, including the QS World University Rankings 2024, which places us 32nd in the world and 6th in the UK.
Our world-class campus has benefited from a £1 billion investment in teaching and research facilities. These include the newly opened £420 million engineering campus and the £105 million Henry Royce Institute, which is the UK’s National Institute for Advanced Materials Research and Innovation. It also includes the £85 million refurbishment of the ‘triple-crown’ (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS) accredited Alliance Manchester Business School.
Together with our acclaimed teaching, these and other facilities, including one of only five National Research Libraries, give our students opportunities to enjoy an engaging and enriching experience across our portfolio of programmes.
Our provision spans the disciplines of engineering, humanities, medicine, sciences and social sciences. You can review the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 here.
With select students supported by well-known government bodies and other organisations such as ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi Police Attaché’s Office and the President’s Scholarship Office, we’re delighted to be a premier institution of choice for those students and their sponsors.
The University’s long-standing partnership with Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the signing of a $1 billion deal between a Manchester graphene University spin-out firm and the UAE to help tackle global sustainability challenges, helps to showcase the real world impact of our close ties with the UAE.
Our long tradition of giving international students a warm welcome and helping them to make Manchester their ‘home from home’, complements the diverse, dynamic and cosmopolitan community we enjoy shaping together.
On these pages, you'll find key information for students from the UAE, including an overview of entry requirements, exhibitions and visits.
Manchester
The single-site campus is at the heart of the city of Manchester. Manchester is one of the UK’s and the world’s most popular student cities – a buzzing modern metropolis and a vibrant, cosmopolitan, friendly place to live and learn.
Manchester has one of the most diverse populations in the UK with more than 200 languages spoken, restaurants and shops to cater to a wide range of taste and dietary requirements, as well as faith facilities to support those who follow the world’s major religions.
It is budget-friendly for international students as rent tends to be more reasonable than in other locations. Many amenities are within walking distance of the campus with most of the shops, theatres, cafes and restaurants just a short stroll away.
Employability
We are the second most targeted university in the UK by the nation's top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2024), and among the leading institutions for global graduate employability (QS and Times Higher Education’s respective rankings).
World-leading research
We are recognised as a global powerhouse of research, with 96% of the University’s research impact activity assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), 2021.
World rankings
Using different methodologies, international rankings typically compare universities from across the globe for their research performance and academic reputation.
| League table | World | Europe | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Ranking (2026) | 35 | 11 | 7 |
| QS World University Rankings: Europe (2025) | 7 | ||
| Academic Ranking of World Universities (2024) | 52 | 15 | 6 |
| Times Higher Education (2025) | 53 | ||
| Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings (2025) | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| QS World University Sustainability Rankings | 9 | 6 | 4 |