18 Pakistani universities among world’s best colleges for 2026
- June 23, 2025
- 693
The UK-based higher education analytics company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has announced the 2026 edition of the QS World University Rankings, which includes 18 Pakistani institutes.
One of the most prominent international evaluations of universities, the rankings comprise more than 1,500 institutions from more than 100 nations.
At number 354 in the world, Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad continues to be the best university in Pakistan.
The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), tied at 371st, comes next.
Other universities in the top 600 are Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) at number 555 and the University of Punjab at number 542.
A number of criteria are used by the QS rankings to assess institutions, such as sustainability performance, citations per faculty, international student and faculty presence, faculty-to-student ratio, employer reputation, and academic reputation.
This is the complete list of Pakistani universities that were included in the rankings for 2026:
| 354 | Quaid-e-Azam University |
| 371 | National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) |
| 542 | University of Punjab |
| 555 | Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) |
| 654 | University of Agriculture, Faisalabad |
| 664 | COMSATS University Islamabad |
| 721–730 | Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) |
| 761–770 | Government College University, Faisalabad |
| 801–850 | University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore |
| 901–950 | University of Peshawar |
| 951–1000 | The University of Lahore |
| 1001–1200 | Aga Khan University |
| 1001–1200 | University of Karachi |
| 1201–1400 | Bahauddin Zakariya University |
| 1201–1400 | International Islamic University, Islamabad |
| 1201–1400 | Riphah International University |
| 1201–1400 | University of Management and Technology |
| 1401+ | The Islamia University of Bahawalpur |
The rankings highlight Pakistan's emerging global academic presence and the country's ongoing expansion in the higher education sector.
