Only 1 Pakistani varsity among top 500 in world rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025 have expanded significantly, ranking over 2,000 institutions from 115 countries, marking a 9.7% growth from the previous year.

This represents the most substantial increase in the last five years. Pakistan features prominently with 47 ranked universities, making it the 14th most-represented nation globally, alongside Taiwan.

Quaid-i-Azam University continues to lead for Pakistan, holding its position in the 401-500 band. 

Meanwhile, eight Pakistani universities have secured places in the 601-800 band, including the University of Malakand, which moved up from the 801-1,000 range, and Sukkur IBA University, which entered the rankings for the first time. However, the rankings revealed a mixed performance for Pakistan, as only seven institutions improved, while 10 saw a decline.

Top Pakistani Universities in the 601–800 Band:

Air University

Capital University of Science and Technology

COMSATS University Islamabad

Government College University Faisalabad

National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)

University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila

University of Malakand

Sukkur IBA University

Globally, the University of Oxford continues its reign as the top-ranked university for a record nine consecutive years, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University.

In Asia, Pakistan is the 6th most-represented nation, with 47 ranked institutions among the 853 universities from 35 countries.

The rankings are based on 18 performance indicators across five pillars: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and internationalization.

With over 2,860 institutions submitting data and 768 earning "reporter" status, this year’s rankings have set a new benchmark in inclusivity and global representation.