The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday approved the launch of a university ranking system to improve the quality of higher education in the province.

Meena Khan Afridi, the minister of higher education and local government, gave her consent, according to a statement released by his office.

According to the minister, the rating system would promote quantifiable advancements in academic standards, research, and governance while fostering healthy competition among colleges.

Referring to the statement, the ranking system was created after examining both the national ranking criteria of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and prominent international frameworks like Times Higher Education (THE) and QS World University Rankings. The pertinent indicators from those systems were then modified to meet provincial needs.

It stated that the first provincial ranking list is anticipated to be released in March and that all public sector universities in the province have been instructed to submit the necessary data through a stipulated pro forma within a month under the new framework.

As stated by Mr. Afridi, institutions that exhibit better governance, academic achievement, and financial management will be rewarded, and future financial grants to universities will also be tied to performance under the ranking system.

To help to ensure a thorough and impartial evaluation of universities, officials stated that the ranking criteria include indicators pertaining to administration, research and development, economic viability and fund generation, services for student support, and overall academic performance, among other things.

The minister described the proposal as a step toward bringing higher education in the province into line with international standards, pointing out that no other province had yet implemented a specific provincial university rating system.

He emphasized the provincial government's resolve to improve higher education by implementing reforms that prioritize accountability, quality control, and international competitiveness.