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Ministry of Higher Education : Number of admitted students up by 15% in previous academic year
DUBAI, 27th September, 2026 (WAM) -- The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has reported continued growth in university enrolment across the UAE, with the number of admitted students increasing by 15% in the previous academic year compared with the year before, bringing total enrolment to more than 218,000 students during the 2025-2026 academic year. The Ministry said this growth reflects the effectiveness of flexible admissions policies that provide students with broader opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills needed to enter the labour market, in line with national economic priorities and future requirements.In an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Ahmad Sultan Al Shoaibi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, explained that expanding access to higher education institutions is supported by an integrated system of real-time data connectivity between the ministry and higher education institutions. This enables the Ministry to monitor admissions and enrolment indicators on an ongoing basis, while enhancing universities' efficiency in managing admissions processes in accordance with the legislation governing the higher education sector and approved national frameworks.He said that indicators recorded over the past period demonstrate the positive impact of policies aimed at expanding access to higher education. During the previous academic year, higher education institutions in the UAE recorded a 15% increase in the number of admitted students compared with the preceding year, with the total number of students admitted and enrolled exceeding 64,000, including approximately 32,000 Emirati students.''The number of students enrolled in higher education institutions exceeded 218,000 during the 2025-2026 academic year, including approximately 124,000 Emirati students, he explained.The impact of the development of admissions policies has also extended to the range of educational pathways available to students. The number of students enrolled in diploma and higher diploma programmes increased from 3,995 in the 2021-2022 academic year to 10,926 in 2025-2026, representing growth of 173%. This expansion provides students with a broader range of options while supporting the acquisition of qualifications and skills that enhance their readiness for the labour market,'' he added.He noted that the development of admissions policies and criteria at higher education institutions forms part of a clear and integrated vision aimed at expanding students' access to university places, enhancing the flexibility of the higher education system and its ability to accommodate students' needs and diverse academic pathways, while maintaining the quality of educational outcomes and aligning them with labour market requirements and national priorities.He explained that granting higher education institutions greater flexibility in determining admission criteria according to the nature of their programmes and specialisations forms part of the development of the governance model for the higher education sector. This approach, he noted, strengthens institutions' responsibility for the academic standards of their students and the quality of their outcomes, while enabling them to develop admissions policies suited to the nature and level of their academic programmes. This is implemented within an integrated and clearly defined framework applicable to all universities, alongside an outcomes-based assessment framework that supports this flexibility and ensures the continued maintenance of quality.In this regard, Dr. Al Shoaibi stressed that the flexibility granted to higher education institutions in setting admission criteria does not in any way mean compromising quality requirements. He emphasised that the Ministry will not tolerate any practices or admissions policies that could undermine the quality of the educational process or affect the standard of its outcomes.He noted that the approved admissions policies represent one of the leading international practices, serving as a tool to enable students to enter educational pathways suited to their abilities without compromising academic standards or graduates' competence and ability to meet labour market needs.Dr. Al Shoaibi explained that higher education institutions are responsible for ensuring that their admission criteria are appropriate to the nature of their academic programmes, within an integrated system of governance, oversight and accountability. This approach seeks to strike a balance between expanding access to higher education, maintaining quality standards, ensuring graduate competence and strengthening graduates' readiness for the labour market.He added that the higher education system has made significant qualitative advances in recent years, with a greater focus on governance and ensuring the quality of educational outcomes to meet the future needs of the labour market and priority sectors. The performance of higher education institutions is also subject to continuous monitoring and evaluation.He explained that greater flexibility in admission criteria for higher education institutions does not represent a relaxation of quality requirements. Rather, it forms part of the development of the governance model for the higher education sector and a shift from relying primarily on the regulation of inputs towards a more comprehensive system that links institutional autonomy with accountability for the quality of outcomes and results.This is supported by an outcomes-based assessment framework that operates alongside admissions flexibility to ensure a dynamic response to the requirements of the sector without compromising quality standards.The Ministry confirmed that Ministerial Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on Admission Criteria for Higher Education Institution Programmes in the UAE requires higher education institutions to establish clear admission criteria for their programmes. It also permits conditional admission subject to the successful completion of preparatory or remedial courses or programmes to address any potential gaps in the academic skills of admitted students. In addition, diploma, higher diploma and partial qualification pathways are available to students according to their abilities and educational pathways.With regard to minimum secondary school grades and grades in specialised subjects, the Ministry clarified that the absence of a single, standardised minimum requirement across all higher education institutions does not mean that academic controls are absent. Rather, it reflects an approach that gives institutions the flexibility to determine admission requirements according to the nature of the programme and specialisation and the level of preparation required, while subjecting the outcomes of these policies to ongoing monitoring, evaluation and oversight.Regarding the absence of a requirement to obtain the Ministry's prior approval when establishing or amending each individual admission criterion, the Ministry explained that the current model is based on strengthening higher education institutions' responsibility for their academic decisions, while subjecting their performance to continuous oversight and evaluation.Accordingly, the absence of a requirement for prior approval of every amendment does not mean that the Ministry's supervisory role has been removed. The Ministry verifies institutions' compliance with admission criteria through academic accreditation renewal processes, as well as periodic monitoring and inspection visits and ongoing assessment of the quality of admissions practices.This represents a shift from oversight based primarily on procedural prior approval towards a broader model of continuous accountability. It enables the impact of admissions policies to be assessed in relation to students, programmes, graduates and the labour market, while allowing the necessary measures to be taken when practices that affect the quality of the educational process are identified.The Ministry also stressed the importance of distinguishing between "open admission" without sufficient academic controls and the regulated model of flexibility governed by clear and robust standards, which is applied in the UAE.The UAE model does not involve opening admissions without controls. Instead, it combines institutional flexibility in determining admission criteria with preparatory and remedial programmes where needed, academic accreditation, inspection and oversight, and continuous monitoring of educational outcomes.Accordingly, assessing the impact of flexibility should not be limited to admission criteria at the point of entry. It should also take into account indicators such as student retention and completion, employment, quality of education and the alignment of graduates' skills with the needs of the national economy.The Ministry continues to develop the higher education system through an approach focused on the quality of outcomes and measuring their impact. This includes learning outcomes and employment, partnerships with the economic and industrial sectors and future readiness, alongside the development of tools to anticipate future labour market needs and identify the skills and specialisations required in nationally prioritised economic sectors.The Ministry stressed that expanding access to higher education and maintaining the standards of university graduates are complementary objectives. It continues to monitor and evaluate admissions policies and the performance indicators of higher education institutions on an ongoing basis, with the aim of balancing broader educational opportunities for students with ensuring the quality and competence of graduates and strengthening their readiness and ability to compete in the labour market.
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