Over the past 10 years, there has been great investment in the expansion of higher education institutions (HEI) in Oman. Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) is still the largest government funded university but expatriate students are not permitted to apply. However, by 2011, there were 29 private institutions and colleges with an enrolment of some 35,000 students, with expatriates making up a substantial percentage. The Omani Ministry of Higher Education encourages these private HEIs to choose highly reputable universities as partners in academic affiliation agreements for the purpose of monitoring and improving quality, diversifying programme offerings, and increasing the prestige of the diploma/degree awarded by the HEI. Thus, students can be satisfied that they are getting a good quality level of education. These HEIs have also helped to introduce new courses to Oman. For example, Bayan College is the first university in Oman to offer degrees in media studies. Many students still choose to go abroad for their higher level education, but not as many as in the past.

There have been huge developments in the higher-education sector in neighbouring Dubai, so expat students living in Oman could always attend university there. 

For more information, the following websites might be helpful: the American University in Dubai (aud.edu), the American University of Sharjah (aus.edu), the British University in Dubai (buid.ac.ae), Heriot Watt University Dubai (hw.ac.uk), the University of Wollongong (uowdubai.ac.ae) and Dubai Knowledge Village (kv.ae).