90 Pakistani universities listed in QS Asia University Rankings 2027
A total of 90 Pakistani universities appear in the QS Asia University Rankings 2027. NUST leads them and placed second in Southern Asia, behind IIT Delhi.
- 90 Pakistani universities are in the QS Asia University Rankings 2027.
- NUST leads Pakistani institutions and is second in Southern Asia, behind IIT Delhi.
- Quaid-i-Azam University is 10th in Southern Asia, giving Pakistan two of the top ten places.
A total of 90 Pakistani universities have secured places in the QS Asia University Rankings 2027, according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Filtering the official QS rankings website by Pakistan returns 90 institutions.
The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) leads Pakistani institutions, followed by Quaid-i-Azam University and LUMS. TechJuice reported that NUST holds 76th position in Asia. COMSATS University Islamabad and the University of the Punjab also sit among Pakistan's five highest-ranked universities.
In the Southern Asia subregional table, NUST placed second, behind IIT Delhi. Quaid-i-Azam University took 10th position, making it Pakistan's second institution in that top ten. The Southern Asia table includes universities from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran and the Maldives.
The University of Swat secured 771st position in Asia, 229th in South Asia and 59th in Pakistan, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. It also ranked ninth among universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At the top of the Asian table, the University of Hong Kong kept its place as the highest-ranked university. Peking University was second, and Tsinghua University rose from ninth place to third. City University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong completed the top five.
QS rates universities on 11 indicators. Academic reputation carries 30 percent and employer reputation 20 percent. The faculty-student ratio, international research network and citations per paper carry 10 percent each. Research papers per faculty member and the share of staff with PhDs count for 5 percent each, and the remaining 10 percent comes from international faculty, international students and exchange indicators.
Minute Mirror reported that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) told a standing committee that 18 Pakistani universities appear in the QS World University Rankings 2027, up from seven in 2020. Across all QS tables, Pakistan's count rose from 29 universities in 2020 to 83 in 2026. Two Pakistani universities are in the world's top 500 and 22 are in the top 1,000.
The commission has set up a committee to explain the ranking method and identify weak areas, and formed 20 task forces on reforms. It plans to add AI and computing education to curricula and has announced free AI training for faculty. HEC chairman Dr Niaz Ahmed Akhtar said "the aim is lasting quality, not just better numbers".
Why it matters
Students and families choosing universities in Pakistan use these rankings when deciding where to apply. The table shows how local institutions such as NUST, Quaid-i-Azam University, LUMS, COMSATS and the University of the Punjab compare in Asia. It also lists the indicators QS uses, including academic and employer reputation, which carry the most weight.
