A total of 33 Pakistani universities have secured positions in the US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2026–2027, with COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) emerging as the country’s highest-ranked institution at 410th globally.
The latest US News rankings evaluated more than 2,250 universities across over 100 countries, with institutions assessed primarily on their academic research performance and reputation.
Among Pakistani universities, COMSATS leads the ranking with an overall score of 52.0, followed by Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) at 451st globally with a score of 50.7.
The University of Lahore is Pakistan’s third-highest-ranked institution at 479th globally, followed by the University of Management and Technology (UMT) at 573rd and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) at 590th.
Pakistani Universities in US News Best Global Universities Rankings 2026–27
| S. No. | Global Rank | University | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 410 | COMSATS University Islamabad | 52.0 |
| 2 | 451 | Quaid-i-Azam University | 50.7 |
| 3 | 479 | University of Lahore | 50.0 |
| 4 | 573 | University of Management & Technology (UMT) | 46.8 |
| 5 | 590 | National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) | 46.2 |
| 6 | 633 | University of Agriculture Faisalabad | 45.0 |
| 7 | 693 | Islamia University of Bahawalpur | 43.9 |
| 8 | 739 | Aga Khan University | 42.7 |
| 9 | 762 | University of Punjab | 42.3 |
| 10 | 795 | Bahauddin Zakariya University | 41.8 |
| 11 | 853 | Government College University Faisalabad | 40.6 |
| 12 | 897 | Abdul Wali Khan University | 39.5 |
| 13 | 920 | Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology | 39.1 |
| 14 | 959 | International Islamic University, Pakistan | 38.4 |
| 15 | 1,061 | University of Central Punjab | 36.6 |
| 16 | 1,081 | University of Peshawar | 36.3 |
| 17 | 1,112 | Government College University Lahore | 35.8 |
| 18 | 1,192 | Air University Islamabad | 34.2 |
| 19 | 1,274 | Hazara University | 32.9 |
| 20 | 1,298 | Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) | 32.5 |
| 21 | 1,348 | University of Engineering and Technology Lahore | 31.6 |
| 22 | 1,410 | University of Gujrat | 30.4 |
| 23 | 1,449 | University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Pakistan | 29.8 |
| 24 | 1,471 | University of Sargodha | 29.4 |
| 25 | 1,514 | Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Science | 28.7 |
| 26 | 1,599 | University of Engineering and Technology Taxila | 27.2 |
| 27 | 1,631 | Bahria University | 26.8 |
| 28 | 1,661 | University of Malakand | 26.3 |
| 29 | 1,728 | University of Karachi | 25.5 |
| 30 | 1,798 | Arid Agriculture University | 24.2 |
| 31 | 1,888 | Dow University of Health Sciences | 22.8 |
| 32 | 1,922 | GIK Institute Engineering Science & Technology | 22.1 |
| 33 | 2,189 | Kohat University of Science & Technology | 16.7 |
The US News Pakistan listing also includes eight institutions that do not have an overall global rank or score. These are Agricultural University Peshawar, Capital University of Science & Technology, Mehran University Engineering & Technology, NED University of Engineering & Technology, Sukkur IBA University, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, University of Engineering & Technology Peshawar, and University of Sindh.
At the global level, Harvard University secured the top position in the 2026–27 rankings, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University. The University of Oxford ranked fourth, while the University of Cambridge completed the global top five.
US News said its Best Global Universities methodology focuses on universities’ research mission and scholarly impact. The overall rankings consider research reputation and academic research performance, including indicators such as publications, citations and international collaboration.
Reference Link:- https://propakistani.pk/2026/08/24/33-pakistani-universities-feature-in-us-news-best-global-universities-rankings-2026-27/