Pakistan’s higher education institutions have secured placements in several subject categories of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject 2026, reflecting steady improvement in research, teaching quality, and international collaboration.
The rankings assess universities using key indicators such as academic reputation, research productivity, citations, industry income, and global outlook.
Business and Economics: Multiple Universities in Top 500–600 Bands
Several leading Pakistani universities ranked in the 401–500 band for Business and Economics, including:
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COMSATS University Islamabad
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Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
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National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
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Quaid-i-Azam University
Universities such as Iqra University, Sukkur IBA, and UMT placed in the 501–600 range, while a large group of public and private institutions appeared in the 601–800 and 801–1000 bands.
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Computer Science: NUST and UET Taxila Lead National Rankings
In Computer Science, top national performers in the 401–500 range include:
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National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
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University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila
COMSATS, Air University, Quaid-i-Azam University, and FAST-NUCES ranked between 501–800, highlighting broad national participation in computing research and teaching.
Engineering: Strong Representation Across Multiple Ranking Bands
In Engineering, several institutions ranked between 501 and 600, including:
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LUMS
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University of the Punjab
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Sukkur IBA University
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University of Gujrat
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Capital University of Science and Technology
Universities such as GIKI, FAST, UET Taxila, and UET Lahore appeared in the 601–1000 ranges, while BUITEMS and IST featured in the 1001+ band.
Life Sciences and Medical Fields Show Expanding Presence
In Life Sciences, the highest-ranked Pakistani universities in the 401–500 band were:
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University of Lahore
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Islamia University of Bahawalpur
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University of Malakand
In Medical and Health, leading placements in the 401–500 range went to:
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University of Lahore
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University of Management and Technology
Several public universities, including BZU, GCUF, University of Sargodha, and University of Karachi also appeared across ranking tiers.
Physical Sciences and Social Sciences: Punjab and NUST Perform Strongly
In Physical Sciences, institutions such as:
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University of the Punjab
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University of Peshawar
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UET Taxila
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University of Lahore
ranked between 501–800, with others including IST, LCWU, and BUITEMS appearing in lower bands.
Also read: QUA, COMSATS, NUST among top Pakistani Universities in the rankings 2025; See full list
For Social Sciences, NUST ranked in the 401–500 category, while Quaid-i-Azam University, Punjab University, and University of Lahore placed in the 501–600 range.
Limited Representation in Education and Psychology
Only a small number of Pakistani universities appeared in:
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Education Studies: University of the Punjab (401–500), Sukkur IBA (601–800)
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Psychology: University of the Punjab (401–500)
No Pakistani University Ranked in Law or Arts and Humanities
The subject rankings show no Pakistani universities listed in Law or Arts and Humanities, highlighting gaps in global research visibility and academic output in these disciplines.
How THE Subject Rankings Are Compiled
The THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026 evaluate institutions across 11 major subject areas and 148 disciplines, using the same methodology as overall rankings, based on 18 performance indicators, including:
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Teaching environment
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Research volume and citations
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Industry income
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International outlook
Global Leaders Continue to Dominate Top Positions
Globally, top subject rankings were dominated by US and UK institutions:
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MIT: Arts & Humanities, Business & Economics, Social Sciences
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Harvard University: Engineering and Life Sciences
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University of Oxford: Medical & Health, Computer Science
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Stanford University: Education Studies and Law
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Caltech: Physical Sciences
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University of Cambridge: Psychology
