List of 12 best universities in Bahrain

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Top 12 universities in Bahrain ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 331K citations received by 18.6K academic publications made by 12 universities from Bahrain, the popularity of 10 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. University of Bahrain

#648 in Asia

#2303 in the World

Enrollment: 27,379
Founded: 1986

2. Arabian Gulf University

#1739 in Asia

#4959 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Founded: 1981

3. Ahlia University

#2096 in Asia

#5708 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 2,500
Founded: 2001

4. University College of Bahrain

#2592 in Asia

#6752 in the World

Founded: 2002

5. Gulf University

#2665 in Asia

#6899 in the World

Founded: 2001

6. Royal University for Women

#2976 in Asia

#7672 in the World

Founded: 2005

7. Kingdom University

#2985 in Asia

#7698 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 2002

8. AMA International University Bahrain

#3156 in Asia

#8162 in the World

Founded: 2002

9. Bahrain Institute for Banking and Finance

#3612 in Asia

#9250 in the World

Enrollment: 10,000
Founded: 1981

10. Applied Science University

#4131 in Asia

#10338 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Enrollment: 3,000
Founded: 2004

11. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University College of Business

#5693 in Asia

#13820 in the World

Enrollment: 1,500
Founded: 2006

12. New York Institute of Technology Bahrain

#5728 in Asia

#13912 in the World

Enrollment: 1,000
Founded: 2003

The best cities to study in Bahrain based on the number of universities and their ranks are Sakhir, Manama, Sanad, and Riffa.

Average cost of living for students in Bahrain is $555 + $97-691 for rent (depends on where to live: dormitory, renting with a roommate or solo).