Just One Pakistani University Among the World’s Top 500 in 2025 Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 have been released, showcasing a record 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories. This represents a 9.7% increase from the previous year.
Pakistan’s Performance
Pakistan stands out with 47 ranked universities, tying with Taiwan as the 14th most-represented nation globally and the 6th in Asia.
Leading Universities in Pakistan
Quaid-i-Azam University leads the country, maintaining its position in the 401-500 band. Eight Pakistani universities are ranked in the 601-800 band, including newcomer Sukkur IBA University and the University of Malakand, which made a notable leap from the 801-1,000 range. However, only seven Pakistani universities improved their rankings, while ten experienced declines.
Pakistani Universities Ranking
| University | Rank 2025 | Rank 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Quaid-i-Azam University | 401–500 | 401–500 |
| Air University | 601–800 | 601–800 |
| Capital University of Science and Technology | 601–800 | 601–800 |
| COMSATS University (Islamabad) | 601–800 | 601–800 |
| Government College University Faisalabad | 601–800 | 601–800 |
| National University of Sciences and Technology | 601–800 | 601–800 |
| Sukkur IBA University | 601–800 | NR |
| University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila | 601–800 | 601–800 |
| University of Malakand | 601–800 | 801–1000 |
Global Rankings Overview
On the global stage, the University of Oxford continues to hold the top position for a record nine consecutive years. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranks second, followed by Harvard University in third place.
Global Universities Ranking
| University | Country | Rank 2025 | Rank 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 1 | 1 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | 2 | 3 |
| Harvard University | United States | 3 | 4 |
| Princeton University | United States | 4 | 6 |
| University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 5 | 5 |
| Stanford University | United States | 6 | 2 |
| California Institute of Technology | United States | 7 | 7 |
| University of California, Berkeley | United States | 8 | 9 |
| Imperial College London | United Kingdom | 9 | 8 |
| Yale University | United States | 10 | 10 |
Dominance of Asian Institutions
Asian institutions dominate the rankings, with 853 universities from 35 countries participating. The rankings assess research-intensive universities across 18 performance indicators, covering aspects like teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and internationalization.
This year, 2,860 institutions submitted data, marking a 6.9% increase from last year. THE’s World University Rankings has significantly expanded since its inception and now encompasses over 2,000 institutions, establishing it as the most comprehensive and inclusive global university ranking system.
