Global rankings reveal grim outlook for Pakistan’s universities

(Web Desk): Education plays a vital role in a nation's development and global standing, yet recent statistics by the QS World University Rankings 2025 reveal a concerning picture for Pakistan’s higher education sector.

According to the QS rankings, no Pakistani university has made it to the top 350 globally. However, two federal institutions — Quaid-e-Azam University (ranked 354) and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) — have managed to secure positions within the top 371 universities worldwide.

Pakistan’s largest academic institution, the University of Karachi, placed within the 1,001 band, but it is the only university from Sindh to appear in the top 1,500, highlighting a regional disparity in higher education performance.

Other Pakistani institutions featured include Punjab University (542), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) at 555, and the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad at 654. COMSATS University Islamabad ranks 664, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) 721, and UET Lahore 801. The University of Peshawar and Lahore University were placed at 901 and 951, respectively.

Aga Khan University and University of Karachi both ranked at 1,001, followed by Bahauddin Zakariya University, International Islamic University, Riphah International University, and University of Management and Technology at 1,201. The Islamia University of Bahawalpur is listed at 1,401.

In the South Asian regional rankings, the University of Karachi was ranked 58th, Aga Khan University 62nd, and IBA Karachi 70th. Iqra University was placed at 110, IBA Sukkur at 120, NED University 131, Dow University 140, Mehran Engineering University 168, Ziauddin University 240, Sindh University Jamshoro 263, and the University of Balochistan 278.

Globally, the top-ranked institution remains the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by Imperial College London, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Harvard University. The top 10 also includes Cambridge University, ETH Zurich, National University of Singapore, University College London (UCL), and the California Institute of Technology.

These rankings reflect the urgent need for systemic improvements in Pakistan’s higher education sector.