A statement issued by HEC said that the primary purpose of the ranking exercise is to share with the general public a comprehensive data on the key issues that determine the state of higher education in a particular institution.
Institutions established after December 2008 as well as distance education universities are excluded from the ranking lists.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Laghari, Chairperson HEC, said that ranking is a quality indicator and this information will help shed light on key indicators of higher education institutions in Pakistan to allow students, parents, potential employers and all other stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding higher education institutions.
Ranking criteria for the universities include student intake as well as graduates produced at BS, MS and PhD levels, number of qualified faculty members, student-teacher ratio, quality of research produced and published in journals of international repute, physical and technological infrastructure, international collaborations, resource generation and sports facilities.
The universities have been ranked specifically by category/area of specialization to make it logical. The sector-wise sorting has not been done to provide equal reflection to both the public and private sector institutions. Universities can only be comparable within the assigned category, comparisons to be made among different categories based on the above list will not be logical.
Top 10 Universities in Pakistan:
Category wise Ranking:
Agriculture/Veterinary
Art & Design
Computer Sciences & IT
Engineering & Technology
Business Education
Medical
General Universities (Large)
General Universities (Other)
Update:
For some unknown reasons, HEC has revised the ranking list for Pakistani universities. Below is the new rankings for Pakistani Universities:
Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Aga Khan University, Karachi
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
University of The Punjab, Lahore
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University
University of Health Sciences, Lahore
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT)
Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore
| No. | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | University of Agriculture | 28.29 | 16 | 30.40 | 75 |
| 2 | Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University | 25.37 | 17 | 26.54 | 69 |
| 3 | University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences | 25.84 | 14 | 17.94 | 58 |
| 4 | KPK Agricultural University | 23.25 | 14 | 18.60 | 56 |
| 5 | Sindh Agriculture University | 16.90 | 11 | 6.62 | 35 |
| 6 | Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences | 10.65 | 12 | 2.48 | 25 |
| No. | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | National College of Arts | 34.21 | 0.000 | 22.00 | 56 |
| 2 | Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture | 28.61 | 11.000 | 0.00 | 40 |
| No. | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) | 28.67 | 15 | 24.77 | 68 |
| 2 | National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences | 33.06 | 9 | 18.85 | 61 |
| 3 | Qurtaba University of Science and Information Technology | 26.72 | 11 | 5.55 | 43 |
| 4 | Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences | 16.79 | 14 | 6.04 | 37 |
| 5 | City University of Science and Information Technology | 16.10 | 11 | 0.91 | 28 |
| 6 | CECOS University of Information Technology and Emerging Sciences | 14.61 | 11 | 0.00 | 26 |
| No | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | Aga Khan University | 33.73 | 10 | 18.96 | 63 |
| 2 | University of Health Sciences | 13.12 | 8 | 25.32 | 46 |
| 3 | Dow University of Health Sciences | 11.53 | 18 | 4.40 | 34 |
| 4 | Isra University | 11.91 | 13 | 5.41 | 30 |
| 5 | Zia-ud-Din University | 13.50 | 10 | 3.80 | 27 |
| 6 | Khyber Medical University | 12.30 | 10 | 4.97 | 27 |
| 7 | King Edward Medical University | 9.60 | 9 | 7.17 | 26 |
| 8 | Baqai Medical University | 18.56 | 4 | 2.33 | 25 |
| 9 | Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences | 7.22 | 13 | 4.04 | 24 |
| 10 | Gandhara University | 11.24 | 11 | 0.27 | 23 |
| No. | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences | 36.51 | 17 | 28.27 | 82 |
| 2 | National University of Sciences and Technology | 25.83 | 18 | 18.22 | 62 |
| 3 | Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology | 24.37 | 9 | 22.67 | 56 |
| 4 | University of Engineering and Technology- Lahore | 16.15 | 12 | 11.65 | 40 |
| 5 | University of Engineering and Technology-Taxila | 16.82 | 10 | 12.23 | 39 |
| 6 | Institute of Space Technology | 14.72 | 14 | 9.92 | 39 |
| 7 | KPK University of Engineering and Technology | 12.48 | 12 | 6.05 | 31 |
| 8 | Mehran University of Engineering & Technology | 12.11 | 12 | 5.59 | 30 |
| 9 | NED University of Engineering & Technology | 10.66 | 13 | 4.50 | 28 |
| 10 | Air University | 13.77 | 10 | 4.27 | 28 |
| 11 | National Textile University | 9.68 | 8 | 8.44 | 26 |
| 12 | Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering Science & Technology | 7.97 | 14 | 1.54 | 24 |
| 13 | Balochistan University of Engg & Technology | 8.37 | 13 | 1.52 | 23 |
| 14 | Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology | 7.59 | 14 | 0.86 | 22 |
| 15 | Mirpur University of Science & Technology | 6.78 | 13 | 2.18 | 22 |
| 16 | Dawood College of Engineering & Technology | 5.78 | 14 | 0.00 | 20 |
| No. | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | University of the Punjab | 15.89 | 17.000 | 12.18 | 45 |
| 2 | University of Karachi | 15.11 | 10.000 | 10.67 | 36 |
| 3 | Bahauddin Zakariya University | 12.08 | 12.000 | 9.76 | 34 |
| 4 | University of Peshawar | 12.06 | 10.000 | 10.43 | 32 |
| 5 | International Islamic University | 9.12 | 15.000 | 6.83 | 31 |
| 6 | Govt. College University | 8.06 | 18.000 | 2.95 | 29 |
| 7 | Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology | 8.84 | 17.000 | 2.84 | 29 |
| 8 | University of Sargodha | 8.35 | 13.000 | 4.61 | 26 |
| 9 | University of Sindh | 8.30 | 11.000 | 5.74 | 25 |
| 10 | The Islamia University of Bahawalpur | 9.33 | 10.000 | 5.69 | 25 |
| 11 | Hazara University Mansehra | 8.63 | 13.000 | 3.16 | 25 |
| 12 | University of Education | 4.94 | 15.000 | 2.70 | 23 |
| 13 | National University of Modern Languages | 5.69 | 14.000 | 2.54 | 22 |
| 14 | University of Gujrat | 5.97 | 14.000 | 1.58 | 22 |
| 15 | Bahria University | 6.35 | 7.000 | 2.18 | 16 |
| 16 | Preston University, Kohat | 7.05 | 7.000 | 0.37 | 14 |
| 17 | University of Lahore | 6.31 | 5.000 | 0.72 | 12 |
*student enrollment > 7000
| No. | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | Quaid-i-Azam University | 23.88 | 11 | 32.46 | 67 |
| 2 | Government College University | 14.65 | 13 | 11.95 | 40 |
| 3 | Gomal University | 10.64 | 17 | 4.71 | 32 |
| 4 | Kohat University of Science and Technology | 9.54 | 15 | 4.07 | 29 |
| 5 | The University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir | 9.72 | 15 | 3.58 | 28 |
| 6 | Shah Abdul Latif University | 9.18 | 14 | 4.39 | 28 |
| 7 | Riphah International University | 9.74 | 15 | 2.67 | 27 |
| 8 | Fatima Jinnah Women University | 8.22 | 15 | 2.71 | 26 |
| 9 | University of Balochisan | 9.44 | 13 | 3.73 | 26 |
| 10 | University of Management & Technology | 7.49 | 13 | 4.81 | 25 |
| 11 | Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology | 7.57 | 11 | 5.02 | 24 |
| 12 | Forman Christian College | 14.45 | 7 | 1.92 | 23 |
| 13 | Lahore College for Women University | 10.62 | 10 | 1.32 | 22 |
| 14 | Mohammad Ali Jinnah University | 7.53 | 3 | 6.70 | 17 |
| 15 | Hamdard University | 6.82 | 7 | 2.12 | 16 |
| 16 | University of Central Punjab | 5.68 | 8 | 1.47 | 15 |
| 17 | Jinnah University for Women | 7.39 | 7 | 0.69 | 15 |
*student enrollment >3000 and <7000
| No. | Institute | Teaching Quality | QA Criteria | Research | Total Score |
| 1 | Pakistan Institute of Development Economics | 23.43 | 6.000 | 7.72 | 37 |
| 2 | University of Faisalabad | 16.14 | 15.000 | 0.78 | 32 |
| 3 | Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University | 12.13 | 15.000 | 2.39 | 30 |
| 4 | National Defence University | 12.23 | 11.000 | 3.96 | 27 |
| 5 | Karakurum International University | 11.23 | 12.000 | 1.77 | 25 |
| 6 | Textile Institute of Pakistan | 14.16 | 11.000 | 0.00 | 25 |
| 7 | University of Malakand | 7.29 | 13.000 | 3.33 | 24 |
| 8 | Foundation University | 11.96 | 7.000 | 3.30 | 22 |
| 9 | Beaconhouse National University | 7.59 | 13.000 | 0.40 | 21 |
| 10 | Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education | 6.05 | 15.000 | 0.00 | 21 |
| 11 | Frontier Women University | 4.86 | 15.000 | 1.46 | 21 |
| 12 | University of South Asia | 7.70 | 11.000 | 1.90 | 21 |
| 13 | Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology | 10.05 | 11.000 | 0.26 | 21 |
| 14 | GIFT University | 8.52 | 11.000 | 0.00 | 20 |
| 15 | Indus Institute of Higher Education | 8.59 | 10.000 | 0.00 | 19 |
| 16 | Mohiuddin Islamic University | 7.70 | 11.000 | 0.01 | 19 |
| 17 | Hajvery University | 6.73 | 11.000 | 0.00 | 18 |
| 18 | Kinnaird College For Women | 8.19 | 9.000 | 0.48 | 18 |
| 19 | The Superior College | 10.91 | 7.000 | 0.06 | 18 |
| 20 | Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology | 9.93 | 7.000 | 0.56 | 17 |
| 21 | Newport Institute of Communications & Economics | 5.89 | 11.000 | 0.25 | 17 |
| 22 | Greenwich University | 8.31 | 7.000 | 0.25 | 16 |
| 23 | Minhaj University | 11.03 | 3.000 | 0.00 | 14 |
| 24 | Iqra University | 0.00 | 12.000 | 0.34 | 12 |
| 25 | Preston Institute of Management, Science and Technology | 7.76 | 3.000 | 0.00 | 11 |
| 26 | Preston University, Karachi | 7.30 | 0.000 | 1.01 | 8 |
*student enrollment <3000
