PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa higher education department on Thursday approved the launch of university ranking system, aimed at improving academic quality, transparency and institutional performance across public universities in the province.

The approval was granted by minister for higher education and local government Meena Khan Afridi, said an official statement issued by his office.

The minister said the ranking framework would introduce healthy competition among universities and encourage measurable improvements in governance, research and academic standards.

The statement said that the ranking system had been developed after reviewing leading international frameworks such as QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education (THE), as well as the national ranking criteria of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), adding that the relevant indicators from those systems had been adapted to suit provincial requirements.

Under the new framework, all public sector universities in the province have been directed to submit the required data through a prescribed pro forma within one month, it said, adding that the first provincial ranking list was expected to be published in March.

Mr Afridi said the future financial grants to universities would also be linked to performance under the ranking system, and that institutions demonstrating stronger governance, academic excellence and financial management would be incentivised.

Officials said that the ranking criteria include indicators related to governance, research and development, financial sustainability and fund generation, student support services, and overall academic performance, among others, adding that the aim was to ensure a comprehensive and objective assessment of universities.

The minister noted that no other province had so far introduced a dedicated provincial university ranking system, describing the initiative as a step towards aligning higher education in the province with international benchmarks.

He reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to strengthening higher education through reforms focused on quality assurance, accountability and global competitiveness.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2026