20th: Princeton University, US. Photo: Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BG54TQWAGKDPMFCFQM4CGFUIEI.jpg?smart=true&auth=f71929265f5e5a8c97b64055d6a880e73ac58122e9a019ffc7421b757d4c88e4&width=400&height=225)
First: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US. All photos: Alamy unless otherwise stated
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5B662IWKCZRUAGTBDFPEPY6ZJI.jpg?smart=true&auth=e2397232989d0b510d719f346ad893954dbcdf42c7b813f676bc66bf98b8a710&width=400&height=225)
Second: University of Oxford, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VRCSSNUHEMRSGZFKAGE4FAUENQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=b754f710152809b579b809e04338106097f07b6ac14e61a6558cbbb6a47c4635&width=400&height=225)
Equal third: Stanford University, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QT5VJJJRZGAY63APFEH4JOX7TA.jpg?smart=true&auth=aaad91aa998b6bf4e6175e15023e20d332e56169b34ce62ee73190ce665aede5&width=400&height=225)
Equal third: University of Cambridge, UK. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CDICEEBBKYO25PO7SAZGHAI5E4.jpg?smart=true&auth=153a87d0f1a3d3e185b8adc0c83c96fcc664f04c5e3cd64d2b46d86d6e4bf099&width=400&height=225)
Fifth: Harvard University, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YVFNMVS2PIC4KNT5UUAPV5ABBI.jpg?smart=true&auth=5ced1c23f94f9a2177a4295939e3ac866847d993358e4961f3dc811fbd6863fa&width=400&height=225)
Sixth: California Institute of Technology (Caltech), US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DKG3ET6XR7NF63POPPWZGZTAIQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=a4241358bdb8a348b8f0ee0b57ebad870a301911cb52f8860b51b4579a1b3e7d&width=400&height=225)
Seventh: Imperial College London, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/R7CFA6UVEJR2M3EOEK354TVQ6Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=bc74e438c58d3bf7622dfc7c004859102e757a9bbd5cc3b729d9d7f8ad2cfca4&width=400&height=225)
Equal eighth: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2IIHIDOFA6TPLKEK2NJ5CSUBCU.jpg?smart=true&auth=3257f0a15dbaa6a79b6409079271d149c1ad33a3cbeb31e8b1075a1d9fe8e7fe&width=400&height=225)
Equal eighth: UCL, London, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/B5UW4DLSUZV4DP5GWFCKROPGQ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=d4697fc9d92c6a3364e47b0244e86fefb0bdcb029a304315a2361ae82b9374e9&width=400&height=225)
10th: University of Chicago, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/56KP4O5BD4JKPUP2MYSJPEEEXA.jpg?smart=true&auth=4344c10686f9b83245a22cd56328d362983053b8e4e15f9a3a01d1646b54d50b&width=400&height=225)
11th: National University of Singapore
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZAJIUYXO5XUP22WFBOOD5LP2NE.jpg?smart=true&auth=38e957a46cf94e4030a941927e83e604850b74ab55421b6dcb4f9f789587cc07&width=400&height=225)
12th: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CAIFX7EL3XRO6PBQEBJIGBTG44.jpg?smart=true&auth=a9c5f1ca4a0ac88ed6273293984f22f6a0b19384cda3a6c7a9591a7c3eca5c1f&width=400&height=225)
13th: University of Pennsylvania, US
Equal 14th: EPFL, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AS3DI4SUVCI5IAPGM37AJ4MTAM.jpg?smart=true&auth=70d6fd968f17a82aa88c0ed98dd96dbb3841db4bf56593863b5ef9bdb38a6dbb&width=400&height=225)
Equal 14th: Yale University, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CBQ4PEF5UVXEQSTA7MBWSUCQFY.jpg?smart=true&auth=570ae987ca203eb47998a1c04523c1a216d4766c43833b974f37028807a2bd2b&width=400&height=225)
16th: University of Edinburgh, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OO5IHCIPOO46JESJ63EECFMBNE.jpg?smart=true&auth=04b57966699c0b681709a2d8fa2920b01aaff65687c7a9ce4a59d7ad163a9546&width=400&height=225)
17th: Tsinghua University, China
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PVEETADDZZG6HNSUCBEY7RVV3M.jpg?smart=true&auth=991e525ae3a0aa56cb4becca882a1aa6f9574b0ce0c5b9d2b7ea3545c56b76e1&width=400&height=225)
18th: Peking University, China. Photo: AP Photo
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7NAL4YSTXJGNHEEEOHEUVF5FIE.jpg?smart=true&auth=5a545f7628033999266ad9541518f2d5db8c4f5f2c76964b69549026c0c93ad7&width=400&height=225)
19th: Columbia University, US. Photo: Getty Images
20th: Princeton University, US. Photo: Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BG54TQWAGKDPMFCFQM4CGFUIEI.jpg?smart=true&auth=f71929265f5e5a8c97b64055d6a880e73ac58122e9a019ffc7421b757d4c88e4&width=400&height=225)
First: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US. All photos: Alamy unless otherwise stated
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5B662IWKCZRUAGTBDFPEPY6ZJI.jpg?smart=true&auth=e2397232989d0b510d719f346ad893954dbcdf42c7b813f676bc66bf98b8a710&width=400&height=225)
Second: University of Oxford, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VRCSSNUHEMRSGZFKAGE4FAUENQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=b754f710152809b579b809e04338106097f07b6ac14e61a6558cbbb6a47c4635&width=400&height=225)
Equal third: Stanford University, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QT5VJJJRZGAY63APFEH4JOX7TA.jpg?smart=true&auth=aaad91aa998b6bf4e6175e15023e20d332e56169b34ce62ee73190ce665aede5&width=400&height=225)
Equal third: University of Cambridge, UK. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CDICEEBBKYO25PO7SAZGHAI5E4.jpg?smart=true&auth=153a87d0f1a3d3e185b8adc0c83c96fcc664f04c5e3cd64d2b46d86d6e4bf099&width=400&height=225)
Fifth: Harvard University, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YVFNMVS2PIC4KNT5UUAPV5ABBI.jpg?smart=true&auth=5ced1c23f94f9a2177a4295939e3ac866847d993358e4961f3dc811fbd6863fa&width=400&height=225)
Sixth: California Institute of Technology (Caltech), US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DKG3ET6XR7NF63POPPWZGZTAIQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=a4241358bdb8a348b8f0ee0b57ebad870a301911cb52f8860b51b4579a1b3e7d&width=400&height=225)
Seventh: Imperial College London, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/R7CFA6UVEJR2M3EOEK354TVQ6Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=bc74e438c58d3bf7622dfc7c004859102e757a9bbd5cc3b729d9d7f8ad2cfca4&width=400&height=225)
Equal eighth: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2IIHIDOFA6TPLKEK2NJ5CSUBCU.jpg?smart=true&auth=3257f0a15dbaa6a79b6409079271d149c1ad33a3cbeb31e8b1075a1d9fe8e7fe&width=400&height=225)
Equal eighth: UCL, London, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/B5UW4DLSUZV4DP5GWFCKROPGQ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=d4697fc9d92c6a3364e47b0244e86fefb0bdcb029a304315a2361ae82b9374e9&width=400&height=225)
10th: University of Chicago, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/56KP4O5BD4JKPUP2MYSJPEEEXA.jpg?smart=true&auth=4344c10686f9b83245a22cd56328d362983053b8e4e15f9a3a01d1646b54d50b&width=400&height=225)
11th: National University of Singapore
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZAJIUYXO5XUP22WFBOOD5LP2NE.jpg?smart=true&auth=38e957a46cf94e4030a941927e83e604850b74ab55421b6dcb4f9f789587cc07&width=400&height=225)
12th: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CAIFX7EL3XRO6PBQEBJIGBTG44.jpg?smart=true&auth=a9c5f1ca4a0ac88ed6273293984f22f6a0b19384cda3a6c7a9591a7c3eca5c1f&width=400&height=225)
13th: University of Pennsylvania, US
Equal 14th: EPFL, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AS3DI4SUVCI5IAPGM37AJ4MTAM.jpg?smart=true&auth=70d6fd968f17a82aa88c0ed98dd96dbb3841db4bf56593863b5ef9bdb38a6dbb&width=400&height=225)
Equal 14th: Yale University, US
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CBQ4PEF5UVXEQSTA7MBWSUCQFY.jpg?smart=true&auth=570ae987ca203eb47998a1c04523c1a216d4766c43833b974f37028807a2bd2b&width=400&height=225)
16th: University of Edinburgh, UK
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OO5IHCIPOO46JESJ63EECFMBNE.jpg?smart=true&auth=04b57966699c0b681709a2d8fa2920b01aaff65687c7a9ce4a59d7ad163a9546&width=400&height=225)
17th: Tsinghua University, China
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PVEETADDZZG6HNSUCBEY7RVV3M.jpg?smart=true&auth=991e525ae3a0aa56cb4becca882a1aa6f9574b0ce0c5b9d2b7ea3545c56b76e1&width=400&height=225)
18th: Peking University, China. Photo: AP Photo
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7NAL4YSTXJGNHEEEOHEUVF5FIE.jpg?smart=true&auth=5a545f7628033999266ad9541518f2d5db8c4f5f2c76964b69549026c0c93ad7&width=400&height=225)
19th: Columbia University, US. Photo: Getty Images
20th: Princeton University, US. Photo: Reuters
Is it better to study abroad or in your home country? How to choose a university
Many UAE pupils are still deciding where to apply for higher education
![Daniel Bardsley](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F4dcffed7-67d1-4c6f-b468-84a82d1ddd22.png?smart=true&auth=e4d7a6e3c76d7ec922e25339bc18538c62bc925936c2316006dc89b8a7becdc6&width=70&height=70)
Daniel Bardsley
17 July, 2022
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