There is no denying that Pakistan is home to some of the most historic and highly revered educational institutions in Asia. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognizes more than 140 private and government universities in Pakistan that are providing quality education to hundreds of thousands of brilliant young minds and helping them transform into contributing members of society.
Since we have extensively discussed the best engineering, medical and business universities across the country based on their academic facilities and research methodologies along with a host of other important factors, it is time to talk about the top universities in Pakistan.
Recently, the US News and World Report unveiled its Best Global Universities Rankings for 2022, which featured 1,750 top educational institutions from 90 countries, which is a significant upgrade from the ranking of 1,500 universities spread across 86 countries last year.
Unsurprisingly, the top positions on the list went to schools in the United States and the United Kingdom, namely Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, and the University of Oxford. However, you will be glad to know that the Best Global Universities Rankings for 2022 also include more than a dozen HEC-recognized universities in Pakistan.
Here is the list of universities in Pakistan that offer the best in terms of education and research facilities.
| Sr. No. | University | City | Ranking | Global Score |
| 1. | Quaid-i-Azam University | Islamabad | 461 | 53.7 |
| 2. | Aga Khan University | Karachi | 473 | 53.2 |
| 3. | COMSATS University Islamabad | Islamabad | 495 | 52.2 |
| 4. | National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) | Islamabad | 922 | 41.2 |
| 5. | University of Peshawar | Peshawar | 933 | 40.7 |
| 6. | University of Agriculture Faisalabad | Faisalabad | 954 | 40.1 |
| 7. | Government College (GC) University Faisalabad | Faisalabad | 1,149 | 35.9 |
| 8. | University of Punjab | Lahore | 1,242 | 33.8 |
| 9. | Bahauddin Zakariya University | Multan | 1,368 | 31.1 |
| 10. | University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore | Lahore | 1,458 | 28.9 |
| 11. | University of Karachi | Karachi | 1,543 | 27.0 |
| 12. | University of Lahore | Lahore | 1,562 | 26.3 |
| 13. | University of Sargodha | Sargodha | 1,664 | 23.0 |
In addition to the educational institutions listed above, the following universities in Pakistan were also included in the Best Global Universities Ranking for 2022. However, they were unranked in the index.
- Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi
- University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila
How Did US News and World Report Calculate the Best Global Universities Rankings?
The purpose of the Best Global Universities Rankings is to help students across the world determine which institutions to choose for their higher studies abroad. Since an increasing number of young people are seeking to enrol in universities located in other parts of the world, this list can provide them with a clear idea about the academic research and reputation of a certain school. It will also help applicants compare different educational institutes as well as their undergraduate and graduate programmes.
But, how did US News and World Report finalize these rankings?
Well, according to the research methodology outlined in the eighth annual ranking report, the first step was to create a pool of 1,849 universities based on their global reputation and the number of papers published by them. The minimum threshold reportedly included at least 1,250 papers published between 2015 and 2019,
In the second step, the US News and World Report used 13 indicators to analyse the global research performance of the shortlisted universities. These indicators and their weightage in the ranking formula are as follows:
| Indicators | Weight |
| Global research reputation | 12.5% |
| Regional research reputation | 12.5% |
| Publications | 10% |
| Books | 2.5% |
| Conferences | 2.5% |
| Normalized citation impact | 10% |
| Total citations | 7.5% |
| Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited | 12.5% |
| Percentage of total publications that are among the 10% most cited | 10% |
| International collaboration – relative to the country | 5% |
| International collaboration | 5% |
| Number of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited in their respective field | 5% |
| Percentage of total publications that are among the top 1% of most highly cited papers | 5% |
Find Out All About the Best Universities in Pakistan
Choosing the right university for your undergraduate or graduate universities requires a lot of due diligence. To help you streamline your search for the best educational institution, we have put together comprehensive guides detailing the faculties, available programmes, and other facilities provided by the top universities in Pakistan.
Let’s take a look.
- Most Popular Engineering Universities in Islamabad
- Best Universities for Business Studies in Islamabad
- Best Engineering Universities in Lahore
- Top Medical Universities in Lahore
- Top Ranked Engineering Universities in Karachi
- Best Universities to Study Business Management in Karachi
- Best Medical Universities in Karachi
Furthermore, don’t forget to check out our guide on how to find the list of HEC-recognized universities in Pakistan.
For more information on the top private and government universities in Pakistan, please stay connected to Zameen Blog. You can also share your thoughts and comments about the best educational institutes in the country with us by sending an email at blog@zameen.com. Last but not least, make sure to visit our Facebook page to learn all about the latest real estate investment opportunities in your city.
