HEC Resumes University Rankings After Nearly a Decade; Over 200 Institutions Under Evaluation
Public and private universities will be evaluated on academic quality, research, governance, infrastructure and student services before the updated national rankings are released.
ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has formally resumed Pakistan’s national university ranking exercise after nearly a decade, initiating evaluations of more than 200 public and private higher education institutions across the country.
According to reports, the latest exercise marks the first comprehensive national ranking process since HEC released its previous rankings in 2014 and 2015. The Commission has begun collecting and verifying institutional data before compiling the updated rankings.
Under the revised framework, universities will be assessed across a wide range of performance indicators, including academic quality, research productivity, governance, faculty strength, quality assurance, infrastructure, innovation, internationalization, financial management, and student support services.
The updated rankings are expected to be published through HEC’s official channels once the evaluation and verification process is completed. The ranking exercise is aimed at promoting transparency, encouraging healthy competition among higher education institutions, and driving continuous improvements in Pakistan’s university sector.
Education experts believe a credible and transparent ranking system enables students and parents to make informed choices while encouraging universities to strengthen research, teaching quality, governance, and international competitiveness.
What Were HEC’s Last Official University Rankings?
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is Pakistan’s official authority responsible for evaluating and ranking higher education institutions based on a comprehensive set of academic and institutional performance indicators.
According to HEC’s last comprehensive university rankings released in 2015, the country’s top six universities were:
| Rank | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Quaid-i-Azam University (Islamabad) |
| 2 | University of the Punjab (Lahore) |
| 3 | National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad |
| 4 | University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) |
| 5 | Aga Khan University (Karachi) |
| 6 | COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (now COMSATS University Islamabad) |
Pakistani Universities in QS World University Rankings 2022
Since then, Pakistan’s universities have also gained increasing recognition in international rankings. According to the QS World University Rankings 2022, six Pakistani universities were placed among the world’s top 1,000 institutions:
- National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST)
- Quaid-i-Azam University
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS)
- Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
- University of the Punjab
- University of Engineering & Technology (UET), Lahore
QS World University Rankings 2023
In the QS World University Rankings 2023, the number increased to seven with the inclusion of NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, reflecting Pakistan’s gradual improvement in global higher education rankings.
National Ranking Exercise Returns
The resumption of HEC’s national ranking exercise is expected to provide an updated picture of the performance of Pakistani universities after almost a decade and may influence future policy decisions, funding priorities, institutional reforms, and students’ university choices.
