7 Pakistani varsities in QS World University Rankings 2019

E-Paper | August 12, 2026

7 Pakistani varsities in QS World University Rankings 2019

Dawn.com Published April 10, 2019

Quaid-i-Azam University is in the 551-560 bracket of QS World University Rankings 2019. — Creative Commons/File

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Seven universities from Pakistan have made it to the QS World University Rankings 2019 — the prestigious annual index of global varsities.

All seven Pakistani universities to have made the list are based in either Lahore or Islamabad.

Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS): 397
National University of Sciences And Technology (NUST) Islamabad: 417
Quaid-i-Azam University: 551-560
Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums): 701-750
Comsats Institute of Information Technology: 751-800
University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore: 801-1000
University of Punjab: 801-1000

Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), the highest-ranked Pakistani university on the list, occupies the 397th spot and is followed by NUST Islamabad, which is on the 417th spot.

Quaid-i-Azam University, another from the federal capital, comes in next. It is in the 551-560 bracket. The Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums) also made the list this year and is in the 701-750 bracket, whereas Comsats Institute of Information Technology — also located in Islamabad — has been ranked in the 751-800 group.

Meanwhile, University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore and University of Punjab are ranked in the 801-1000 group.

The top three universities this year are Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University and Harvard University respectively. The trio occupy the top three spots just as they had in 2018, followed by California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the fourth spot.

The only change in the top five sees University of Oxford (5th) overtaking University of Cambridge, which has now been relegated to the sixth spot.

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SMi

Apr 10, 2019 09:35pm

Thanks for PPP in Sindh

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M. Saeed

Apr 10, 2019 09:36pm

A good achievement of our universities as compared to the previous years. Must reach much higher.

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Karachites

Apr 10, 2019 09:39pm

Thank you Sindh government. Now I know why are they against building a new university in Hyderabad.

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Apr 10, 2019 09:41pm

IBA and GIK not good enough..

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Abbas

Apr 10, 2019 09:48pm

Shame on Government of Sindh and their chancellors that they can't produce one university for 40 million people that is among top 1000?

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hanifsmile

Apr 10, 2019 09:58pm

Pakistani Universities can be even better, they just have to follow international guidelines better and become more transparent, and do international testings. Pakistan has a good education system

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Ejaz

Apr 10, 2019 10:09pm

Thanks for PTI in KPK.

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Amer

Apr 10, 2019 10:12pm

Research research research that's the only way our universities will be able to get better ranking.

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Aalmas Marri

Apr 10, 2019 10:13pm

@Abbas, how can we when majority of the funds is being allocated to punjab and the remaining to...you know where. It's pretty easy to blame the government while neglecting the real cause and roots of the problem.

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sane voice

Apr 10, 2019 10:17pm

Where is GIK? The fees is soo high and they cant even make it to this list

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Algoritmi

Apr 10, 2019 10:18pm

it takes years of hardwork and dedications to get somewhere. I remember growing up in Karachi in 80's, KU, NED, AKU, DOW, IBA all had respect and serious contention. Then everyone saw political rise of a party that replaced pen with KK in the hands of young generation and now we are reaping the fruits. Karachites still have time to go back to their ethics and importance of education that their parents had been teaching otherwise everything will become history. No point to blame anyone here. Rise and support leaders who are true to the country. Do not just vote blindly to one party because of their race, language etc. Vote for only good people regardless of their affiliation.

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Asif Raza

Apr 10, 2019 10:21pm

Well, PIEAS deserved to be top in Pakistan. If you know someone student/alumni from there, you would be amazed to know what kinda scientific research facilities they have. Also, entire focus of each department is on research.

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Chingez Khan

Apr 10, 2019 10:33pm

Target should be at least a university from each Province in Top 100 and 50 universities in Top 1000 in next 10 years. Thanks

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ciyber

Apr 10, 2019 10:43pm

Regardless, most prestigious business university in our financial capital will remain IBA which is a brand in Karachi and would get you the top job at a top in the financial capital

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Roshua

Apr 10, 2019 10:46pm

Most of the Indian University are in top 100. long way to go pakistan

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Common Man

Apr 10, 2019 10:50pm

I believe PTI can claim that all these 7 universities are made by PTI Govt. (In dreams)

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Junaid

Apr 10, 2019 10:50pm

It is obvious what Waderas did to University of Karachi and NED University.

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Umair

Apr 10, 2019 10:52pm

@ Aalmas Marri, Karachi is getting back on track after ppp and mqm’s gangs and extortion has come to an end. Inshallah Karachi will reach its original position as the top city in Pakistan.

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Gordon D. Walker

Apr 10, 2019 10:54pm

Very low rankings! Nothing to write home about. But on the list nevertheless... Gordon D. Walker Canada

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Zaidi

Apr 10, 2019 10:57pm

Nice, but atleast we should be in top 200s

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Captain

Apr 10, 2019 10:57pm

Education should be prioritized in Pakistan

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Masroor

Apr 10, 2019 10:59pm

KU university by design has been transformed into a food street...where consumption of chai, samoosa, biryani has become a norm rather than academic activities!

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Imtiaz Karim (Berlin)

Apr 10, 2019 11:02pm

@ Aalmas Marri, I think you do not know about 18 amendment in Constitution which means Where funds are given to provincial Govt education, development, agriculture etc. . Except defence budget.

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aman

Apr 10, 2019 11:04pm

Congrats a good start towards the right directions. I know hundreds of thousands of millions of grant versus few million rupees is a biggest hurdle, however, with time we can achieve that.

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Raza

Apr 10, 2019 11:15pm

@JM, IBA and GIK not considered as universities but institutes as they dont have enough degree programmes to account them as universities. Thats what i heard when finding the answer

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Abdul

Apr 10, 2019 11:16pm

@Karachites, The govt does not stop universities to compete and be in QS Ranking. Incompetence is at the university end.

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Mir

Apr 10, 2019 11:20pm

@Roshua , please check again...

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Obsrvr

Apr 10, 2019 11:23pm

Govt of Sindh has already taken over NED university, now it is aiming for KU to be transformed into Mohenjodaro University.

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Noman

Apr 10, 2019 11:31pm

One should look into the the gaps between the top universities and ours. what was the criteria on which the ranking was done. No doubt our universities are good but needs improvements, like research base studies, revised sylllabus very year with updated text books, teachers who can create interests in students for the subject and more importantly a proper university campus/building. Most universities are opened in residential areas with no area for extra curricular activities. most universities abroad are purpose build campuses which are located outside the city with proper hostel facility and shuttle services. Also univrrisities should offer more peograms than fixed mba or a couple of programs.

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Zak

Apr 10, 2019 11:35pm

What happened to Altaf Hussain university in Hyderabad or did they change the name.

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Ali

Apr 10, 2019 11:39pm

Proud to be alumunus of PIEAS

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Rp-original

Apr 10, 2019 11:55pm

@Roshua, - No sir, you need to look at it very carefully - the top Indian university is ranked #162. There are 35 Indian universities in the list though but none made it to the top 150.

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Karachites

Apr 11, 2019 12:31am

@Abdul, Just like in other public organization, all you need to do just put incompetent person as a head of that institution and rest it will be taken care exactly the same way as what happened to Pakistan Steel Mill, PIA or other public organization.

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Moin

Apr 11, 2019 12:33am

Congratulations. Now, in terms of standard of education, Pakistan matches European countries.

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Saaqib Mahmood

Apr 11, 2019 12:38am

At most Pakistani universities, especially those in the NWFP and Sindh, the procedures followed for the selection of the faculty is really defective. Instead of a thorough enough testing comprising both MCQs and long questions from all the major areas of a field, the candidates are screened on the basis of their scores in a purely MCQ-based exam. And, to make things even worse, the interview isn't very thorough either, with the panel members either themselves not being competent enough all round or succumbing to "sifaarish". There is a lot of favoritism and nepotism at almost all the Pakistani universities. And, nobody ever talks about these problematic selection processes and procedures and the ever-growing instances of these in the Pakistani universities!

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Dr. Khan, Chicago

Apr 11, 2019 12:54am

University of Karachi used to be No 1 seat of higher learning in Pakistan! For the past four decades its academic standards have declined due to political attempts to control the development of intellectual capital! Its a wake up call for the future of the country! For the development of Human & Intellectual Capital of the country! It is Imperative that the Federal government take appropriate actions to help University of Karachi to restore its former glory!

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Naved

Apr 11, 2019 01:23am

Very sad situation for universities in Karachi.

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German-Pakistani

Apr 11, 2019 01:29am

So what, I studied in univ. ranking below 1000 and my colleagues came from top eu countries and nothing is special

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ehsan

Apr 11, 2019 01:52am

@Roshua , You need to go through the list and realise the highest ranked Indian university is at number 162. None in top 100.

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ali

Apr 11, 2019 02:42am

@Roshua , only 1 or may be 2, not most.

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Moth

Apr 11, 2019 03:02am

Whether it is a university or high school and it does make any difference where your university land in the ranking. What is important is whether your students what ever level are they - whether their critical thinking process working or not. Two things Knowledge + analytics = quality education. Knowledge you can even get from google or YouTube but critical thinking comes from quality professors. That is where our universities are behind.

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jaredlee007

Apr 11, 2019 03:12am

If there is nothing in top 100, then no need to celebrate mediocrity.

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Ahsan Gul

Apr 11, 2019 03:22am

@Rp-original, - no need to look for comparisons. You Indian and Pakistani guys educated people can become conduit to spread love and affection between the two countries.

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Chinpaksaddique

Apr 11, 2019 04:02am

All because of the untiring efforts of PMIK. Thank you sir

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Javed

Apr 11, 2019 04:22am

@Zak, "Altaf Hussian University" moved to the UK some twenty years and now it has an accreditation problem in Pakistan.

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B. Ally

Apr 11, 2019 05:27am

All of them too far down in ranking to make any substantial impact on quality of education in the country.

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Dr. Kent B Huzen

Apr 11, 2019 05:34am

Good news

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so0-0

Apr 11, 2019 05:45am

But where are the products of these universities. Why your country is in such a state if you have such world class universities?

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Markhor

Apr 11, 2019 06:13am

Good signs for our universities.

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Apr 11, 2019 06:27am

All good things are happening due to magic wand of IK. If there sis something bad, it is due to earlier governments.....

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fairplay

Apr 11, 2019 06:37am

@SMi, send many thanks to the looters of PPP.

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Nadeem Ahmed

Apr 11, 2019 07:07am

@Roshua , which Indian university did you study from that you cannot even scan a list of thousand universities properly?

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AsadWarraich

Apr 11, 2019 08:15am

American universities have again topped the list. Let's hope that government invests in science, technology and education instead of military.

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Comments

Apr 11, 2019 09:19am

Good; but long way to go to be in 02 figures.

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NOONARI THUL

Apr 11, 2019 10:02am

PPP only built the building in Sindh. They do not focus on study or faculty. The faculty members are party members and their children studying in foreign. shame PPP shame

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Taimur

Apr 11, 2019 11:20am

Don'y worry. Now we have PTI government and in the next two years we won't find any of them in the list.

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M.Mudassir Siddiqui

Apr 11, 2019 12:56pm

Thankyou 18th Amendment...& Sindh wins

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Fiyaz

Apr 11, 2019 01:40pm

It is really a matter of concern that karachi university and NED University has not been listed where as both were remained renowned for decades. The polotical unrest in karachi and the negligence of local government bruoght them in this position. I am still sure that both universities deserves a good ranking subject to how our ministry of education discharge its responsibilities.

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Khalid

Apr 11, 2019 03:55pm

The Vadera mindset in Sindh being controlled by Vaderas from interior Sindh has destroyed the fabric of educational city of Karachi. Shame on them.

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Tajammal

Apr 11, 2019 04:44pm

@ Aalmas Marri, Why blaming other provinces? Education is a provincial matter.

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baloch

Apr 12, 2019 07:43am

Hard to rule over educated citizen. Let the masses in misery, and illiterate much easier to control/ rule forever. Thanks to our patriotic leaders.

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Ijaz

Apr 12, 2019 08:24am

@Roshua , this is simply not true. A handful of Indian universities is not most. The fact that you can't see this suggests you obviously did not attend one of those elite outfits

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Aladin

Apr 12, 2019 09:34am

Best news of the year.

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usman786

Apr 12, 2019 09:57am

@JM, Is IBA a university?

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Nick, NY

Apr 12, 2019 11:37am

@M.Mudassir Siddiqui, Zardari should be charged with destroying the education institutions!

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N.S

Apr 12, 2019 11:58am

@Roshua , No Indian university is in top 100 list, check the list in the above link...

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Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale

Apr 12, 2019 12:20pm

@Roshua None of the Indian Universities is in top 100. The link of the ranking is provided in the article itself. Stop spreading lies.

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anonymous

Apr 12, 2019 12:22pm

China : 40 Japan : 44 India : 24 South Korea: 30 Singapore: 3 China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore have universities/institutes in top 100. South Asia in general fares poorly, best in South Asia is IIT Bombay : 162, IISc Bangalore: 170 and IIT Delhi 172

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Apr 12, 2019 07:38pm

It's heartening to see the name of my alma mater; the one and the only; West Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology, Grand Trunk Road, Lahore, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on the QS World University Rankings 2019. Keep it up and hang on tough.

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Alla Bux

Apr 12, 2019 07:58pm

Even the University of Kashmir, Sri Nagar, in IOK, at 201, has higher rating than any our Universities. We must strive harder.

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