18 Pakistani Universities Ranked Globally in 2026

18 Pakistani Universities in Global Rankings 2026: We Will Rise

Pakistan has stamped a proud location on the global education map with 18 of its universities featured in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2026. This achievement indicates the steady development that the higher education system of Pakistan has been achieving in an international sense.

Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad tops the list in the 401–500 band. It is the highest-ranked university in Pakistan and has been noted for its quality in teaching, research and prestige, entertainment, and sports. Moreover, leading the charts from 601-800 are owing to good rankings, COMSATS University Islamabad, NUST, and Air University. Government College University Faisalabad and Sukkur IBA have all been consistently ranked below 800 and are noted for quality improvement in academic and research output.

Other universities from Pakistan that have been featured on the ranking include LUMS, Punjab University, Islamic International University, Islamabad University of Lahore, and the University of Peshawar, mostly listed in the 801-1000 band. There are even universities listed in the 1001-1500 and 1501 + band, showing a growing number of higher education institutions from Pakistan present in the world.

The THE rankings consider teaching quality, research influence, international collaboration, and industry research collaboration, among factors. The PHE ranking of 18 puts Pakistan at number 14 in the list of number of institutions worldwide and is thus a promising ascent.

Experts maintain that continued growth in higher education in Pakistan will depend on investment in research facilities, faculty training, and increased partnerships with universities worldwide