Qatar University

Qatar University is a public research institute situated on the northern fringe of Doha, Qatar.

It is the sole public university in Qatar. Qatar University (QU) was established in 1973 as the University of Qatar, and at inception was organized with three colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, and College of Sharia and Islamic Studies. The College of Engineering was additionally established in 1977. In the formative years, QU was a small university that served only a few hundred students. Much of what we observe today is due to the fact that QU rapidly grew in the late 1980s and 1990s when Qatar was experiencing rapid growth. In turn, QU expanded and developed new colleges, as well as new degree programs at that time. New colleges established included the College of Business and Economics, the College of Law, and the College of Medicine.

In the early part of the 21st century, QU initiated a substantial reform process to overhaul the mission and vision of QU's curriculum and organization. A number of new research centers and institutes were also established. In 2004, the College of Arts and Sciences was merged with the College of Sciences and became the new College of Arts and Sciences. Today, QU is one of the leading universities in the Middle East and North Africa region. QU has been instrumental in the development of Qatar, educating thousands of graduates who have assumed leadership positions in government, business, and academia. QU is also part of Qatar's knowledge economy as one of the main research centers.

Based on the QS World University Rankings of 2025, Qatar University is positioned as the #122 top university in the world, which makes it the #1 top university in Qatar. The university's global rank is improved by 51 points from last year.