The Lebanese American University (LAU) (Arabic: الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية‎) is a secular and private American university located in Lebanon. It is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).^[4] It has two campuses and offers 58 degrees.^[5]

LAU is considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in the Middle East.

About Lebanese American University

The Lebanese American University, based in Beirut and Byblos, is the 15th best university in the Arab region and was ranked among the best 700 universities in the world in 2016.

The Lebanese American University offers bachelors, masters, MBAs and executive MBAs all taught in English, covering a broad range of subjects within:

Arts
Architecture and design
Business
Engineering
Medicine
Nursing
Pharmacy
Sciences

What’s it actually like to study abroad in Beirut and Byblos?

With a fair proportion of international students on campus (about 18%), and as many as 77 different nationalities represented, the Lebanese American University benefits from a diverse student body.

Nonetheless, to help you acclimatize to your new life in Lebanon, you’d be matched with a group of local “buddies” as part of your orientation to visit the campus, locate nearby banks and shops, find a great place to stay and get to know your new country.

Beirut, home to one of the university campuses, was named Conde Nast Traveller’s Top City in the Middle East in 2013. It’s a stunning coastal capital, steeped in antiquity, over 5,000 years old, and known for its cultural highlights and incredible nightlife.

Whether you’re into beautiful sandy beaches, trendy high-rises and restaurants or ancient Roman baths, there should be something in Beirut to keep you busy.

Elsewhere, Byblos, where the Lebanese American University has a second campus, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located a mere 40 kilometers from the capital, on a gorgeous sandstone cliff by the sea.

Funding

Tuition fees vary depending on your course and number of credits, although there are scholarships available to students, including:

Academic merit scholarships, which cover 100% of fees
Athletic scholarships
CNRS scholarships, in collaboration with the National Council for Scientific Research

In addition to scholarships, the Lebanese American University also offers graduate assistantships to deserving students. These grant students tuition fee waivers in exchange for a specific number of hours each week spent teaching and researching. Read more about it here.

For more info about events on campus, the university’s research and student life, just follow the Lebanese American University on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Academics and Rankings

LAU has seven schools divided into several departments.^[10]

School of Arts and Sciences: Communication Arts, Computer Science and Mathematics, Education, English, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences.^[11]
School of Architecture and Design: Art and Design, Architecture and Interior Design, Foundation Program.
Adnan Kassar School of Business: Economics, Finance and Accounting, Hospitality Management and Marketing, Information Technology and Operations Management, Management Studies.^[12]
School of Engineering: Civil, Electrical and Computer, Industrial and Mechanical.^[13]
Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine.
Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing.
School of Pharmacy.

The university is ranked number 14 in the Arab region and 557 in the world in the 2021 QS World University Rankings.

Rankings

LAU’s regional and global positioning, the relevance of its faculty’s scholarship and research, and high employability scores have been affirmed by Times Higher Education (THE) and QS rankings.

Entity	Rank
THE World University Rankings by Subject 2022	No. 1 in Business and Economics in Lebanon
THE World University Rankings 2022	No. 2 in Lebanon No. 1 in Teaching in Lebanon No. 4 in Teaching in the Arab World
THE Arab University Rankings 2021	No. 2 in Lebanon
THE Asia University Rankings 2021	Among top 201-250 universities
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021	LAU’s Petroleum Engineering program ranked in the top 100-150 bracket worldwide, and no. 1 in private universities in Lebanon
QS World University Rankings 2021	No. 4 in Lebanon
QS University Rankings in the Arab Region 2021	No. 14 in the Arab World
QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020	No. 2 in Lebanon

How 8 Lebanese Universities Ranked Among The World’s Top Universities For 2022

The QS World University Rankings (WUR) by Subject 2022 featured 1,300 universities from around the world.

The organization expressed that this year’s university rankings are one of the largest ever.

Each featured institution is evaluated according to six metrics:

Academic Reputation;
Employer Reputation;
Faculty/Student Ratio;
Citations per faculty;
International Faculty Ratio;
International Student Ratio.

Eight Lebanon-based universities made it on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022, here is the list:

#1 American University of Beirut (AUB)

The AUB scored:

#242 QS World University Rankings
#51-100 QS WUR Ranking By Subject
#4 Arab Region Rankings
#73 Graduate Employability Ranking

#2 University of Balamand

The University of Balamand recorded 511-520 in the QS World University Rankings and number 32 in the Arab Region Rankings.

#3 Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ)

The USJ scored:

#531-540 QS World University Rankings
#551-600 QS WUR Ranking By Subject
#19 Arab Region Rankings
#301-500 Graduate Employability Rankings

#4 Holy Spirit University of Kaslik

USEK ranked number 571-580 in the QS World University Rankings and #31 in the Arab Region Rankings.

#5 Lebanese American University (LAU)

LAU scored:

#6 Lebanese University

The state-run Lebanese University (LU) ranked:

#701-750 QS World University Rankings
#101-150 QS WUR Ranking By Subject
#18 Arab Region Rankings
301-500 Graduate Employability Ranking

#7 Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU)

NDU ranked 701-750 in the QS World University Rankings and #37 in the Arab Region Rankings.

#8 Beirut Arab University

The Beirut Arab University recorded numbers 801-1000 in the QS World University Rankings, and number 40 in the Arab Region Rankings.

College Learners

Lebanese American University Ranking