47 Pakistani Universities Make it to Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Islamabad:In a remarkable achievement for Pakistan’s higher education sector, 47 universities from the country have secured places in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2025. This accomplishment marks a significant milestone for the country’s academic institutions.
Among the top universities, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad has been ranked between 401 and 500. Other universities including Air University Islamabad, Capital University of Science and Technology, COMSATS University Islamabad, Government College University Faisalabad, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad, Sukkur IBA University, University of Engineering and Technology Taxila, and University of Malakand have all made it to the range of 601-800.
Additionally, universities such as Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, International Islamic University Islamabad, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Islamia University Bahawalpur, University of Central Punjab Lahore, University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, University of Gujrat, University of Lahore, University of Management and Technology Lahore, University of Punjab Lahore, and University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore are ranked between 801 and 1000.
Twelve universities have been placed between 1001 and 1200, while eight others are ranked between 1201 and 1500. Five institutions fall into the 1501+ category, and 48 universities have been listed as ‘reporters’, meaning they provided data but did not meet the eligibility criteria for ranking.
The 2025 rankings cover over 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and regions, reflecting a significant global competition in higher education. Oxford University continues to hold the top spot for the 9th consecutive year, while MIT has surpassed Stanford University to claim second place. Stanford has slipped to sixth after a four-place decline.
China’s universities are making significant strides, increasing their global research influence and approaching the top 10, while Australia’s top universities have seen a decline in their rankings, reflecting a drop in reputation and international outlook. Meanwhile, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have joined the ranks of countries with universities in the top 200, signaling the rise of emerging markets in higher education.
The rankings are based on the latest WUR 3.0 methodology, which evaluates institutions across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook, using 18 performance indicators. This year’s rankings include 2,092 universities, a 185 increase from last year. In total, 2,860 institutions contributed 472,694 data points, which were assessed to determine the rankings.