Over the past few decades, Qatar has emerged as a strategic center for education, investing billions of dollars to ensure that the entire population of the country has access to world-class education.
Central to this vision was the April ratification of a draft law that restricts the establishment of university branches in Qatar to the top 300 universities worldwide. This ambitious initiative has amassed an impressive portfolio of prestigious universities within the country’s borders and is anticipated to pave the way for the establishment of additional prestigious campuses.
HEC Paris
HEC Paris in Qatar, located in the heart of Msheireb in Doha, has become the top-ranked business school in the globe. It is a public institution that was founded in France as a branch of HEC Paris.
Key offerings include the Executive MBA, the Specialised Masters in Strategic Business Unit Management, Executive Certificates, brief programmes, and bespoke programmes for businesses in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
In addition, its recent rankings reflect the country’s success, with HEC Paris in Qatar securing the top spot among 199 programmes delivered globally across five criteria.
With a near-perfect score of 99.9 for thought leadership and academic reputation and 99.6 for employability, HEC Paris rapidly established itself as one of Qatar’s leading educational institutions.
Qatar University
Qatar University, the country’s oldest and largest university, is renowned for its dedication to high-quality education and research.
Located in Doha and founded in 1973, Qatar University (QU) is a public institution that offers courses in a variety of disciplines, including arts and sciences, business and economics, engineering, law, and medical.
According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, the only public university in the country has an impressive ranking of 173 out of a possible 1,000.
Georgetown University
This university in Doha is a branch of Washington, D.C.’s prestigious Georgetown University. It is a private institution founded in 2005 and located in Qatar’s Education City.
International Politics, International Economics, Culture and Politics, and International History are offered as Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degrees.
Although the university is not an Ivy League institution, it is highly regarded and well-known internationally. Georgetown University was rated 22nd among US universities in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges and 297th in the QS World University Rankings 2024.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University was founded in 2008 and is a private institution located in Education City in Doha. It offers degrees in Communication, Journalism, and Strategic Communications.
This institution, which is a branch of the renowned Northwestern University in Illinois, is renowned for its emphasis on media and communication. The university is ranked tenth in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, and its journalism program is one of the top five in the country.
According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, the university is ranked 47 globally.
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar is a public institution located in the Education City of Doha. It is the first international campus of VCU’s School of the Arts.
It was founded in 1998, reflecting Qatar’s long-term cultural and educational ambitions. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in a variety of disciplines, including fashion design, graphic design, interior design, painting, and printmaking, and is regarded as a leader in fine arts and design education.
It is rated 761 on TopUniversities’ QS World University Rankings.
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar was founded as a branch of a private US university as part of Qatar’s ambitious plan to transition into a knowledge-based economy.
It is located in the center of Doha’s Education City and offers undergraduate degrees in a variety of essential disciplines, including Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science, and Information Systems.
52nd in the QS World University Rankings for 2024.
Cornell University
Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, a branch of Cornell University in New York, continues its parent institution’s tradition of distinction from its base in Education City, Doha.
Established as a private institution, the university is proud to be the first in Qatar to offer a two-year pre-medical program, followed by a four-year medical program culminating to an M.D. from Cornell University.
This initiative was the result of a novel collaboration between Cornell University and Qatar Foundation, which aimed to promote the development of superior healthcare. It is known for fostering high academic standards, advanced research, and clinical care in an environment that promotes critical thinking and lifelong learning, and is a vital component of Qatar’s expanding medical infrastructure.
Cornell University was ranked twenty-first in the QS World University Rankings for 2022.
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is a Doha-based public institution.
It was founded in 2015 and offers master’s degree programs in a number of fields, including social sciences and humanities, public administration and development economics, and conflict and humanitarian studies.
Following a successful International Quality Review (IQR), the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) has granted the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies global quality accreditation. It is rated 22346 among universities and institutions worldwide.
This robust contingent of international and local universities supports Qatar’s rich academic diversity.
The government’s strategic vision and rigorous quality assurance process ensure that every university is equipped to provide the highest quality education and research, laying the groundwork for the nation’s growth.
