90 Pakistani Universities Included in QS Asia University Rankings 2027

What Happened

According to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), 90 Pakistani universities have secured places in the QS Asia University Rankings 2027 [1]. This follows a period of growth in international representation; the Higher Education Commission (HEC) reported that the number of Pakistani universities in these rankings increased from 29 in 2020 to 83 in 2026 [2].

In the latest rankings, the top-performing Pakistani institutions are:

• NUST (leads Pakistani institutions) [1]
• Quaid-i-Azam University [1]
• LUMS [1]
• COMSATS University Islamabad [1]
• University of the Punjab [1]

In the Southern Asia subregional rankings, which include universities from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, and the Maldives, Pakistan holds two positions among the ten highest-ranked institutions [1]. NUST placed second in this subregion, following the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), while Quaid-i-Azam University secured the 10th position [1].

QS evaluates universities using 11 performance indicators [1]. The weightage for these indicators is distributed as follows:

• Academic reputation: 30%
• Employer reputation: 20%
• Faculty-to-student ratio: 10%
• International research network: 10%
• Citations per paper: 10%
• Research papers per faculty member: 5%
• Proportion of staff with PhD qualifications: 5%
• International faculty, international students, and inbound and outbound student exchange: 10%

Globally, the University of Hong Kong is the highest-ranked in Asia for 2027, followed by Peking University in second place and Tsinghua University in third [1]. City University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong are in the top five [1].

Who Is Affected

Students, researchers, and academic institutions are the primary groups impacted by these rankings [1]. The results provide a comparative look at how Pakistani universities perform against regional neighbors in Southern Asia and across the Asian continent [1].

What Students Should Do Next

Students and researchers can view the full rankings on the official QS website [1]. To see specific data for Pakistan, users should:

• Select the 2027 edition on the platform [1].
• Filter the results by country or territory to view Pakistani institutions [1].
• Use the platform to explore individual performance indicators or ranking positions [1].
• Access the Southern Asia rankings separately to compare Pakistani universities with those in neighboring countries [1].