List of 12 best universities in Bahrain

Updated: February 29, 2024

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 127K citations received by 12.3K academic publications made by 12 universities from Bahrain, the popularity of 6 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. University of Bahrain

#859 in Asia

#2724 in the World

Enrollment: 33,642
Founded: 1986

2. Arabian Gulf University

#1941 in Asia

#5335 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Founded: 1981

3. Ahlia University

#2221 in Asia

#6008 in the World

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

4. University College of Bahrain

#2607 in Asia

#6781 in the World

Founded: 2002

5. Gulf University

#2764 in Asia

#7108 in the World

Founded: 2001

6. Royal University for Women

#3057 in Asia

#7787 in the World

Founded: 2005

7. AMA International University Bahrain

#3171 in Asia

#8072 in the World

Founded: 2002

8. Bahrain Institute for Banking and Finance

#3881 in Asia

#9758 in the World

Enrollment: 10,000
Founded: 1981

9. Applied Science University

#4477 in Asia

#10954 in the World

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

10. Kingdom University

#4764 in Asia

#11558 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 2002

11. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University College of Business

#5349 in Asia

#12921 in the World

Enrollment: 1,500
Founded: 2006

12. New York Institute of Technology Bahrain

#5699 in Asia

#13846 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 $540 + $111-794 for rent (depends on where to live: dormitory, renting with a roommate or solo).