A total of 18 Pakistani universities have earned positions in the 2026 edition of QS World University Rankings which is compiled by a UK-based higher education analytics company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
With more than 1,500 institutions in countries around the world counting over 100 countries, it is amongst the most renowned global evaluation of universities.
Islamabad Quaid-e-Azam University is the best ranked university in Pakistan and 354 th around the world.
The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) takes the second place and is ranked alongside at 371.
In the top 600, other universities are the University of Punjab ranking at 542 and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) ranking at 555.
The QS rankings compare the universities on a multiplicity of criteria such as reputation among academics, reputation among employers, staff-to-student ratio, citations per faculty, the broader international staff as well as student mix, and sustainability performance.
Here is the full list of Pakistani universities featured in the 2026 rankings:
- 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 underscore the continued growth of Pakistan’s higher education sector and its expanding global academic presence.
