Pakistan is a fascinating country with beautiful scenery, a rich culture and a complex history.
The country stretches from the Arabian Sea in the south to the towering Himalayas in the north, and encompasses the Indus River valley, a cradle of human civilisation and home to some of the world’s most ancient cultures. Over the millennia, the land has been ruled by many different kingdoms; Hindus, Muslims, Mongols, Sikhs, Achaemenids, Moguls and the British have all controlled parts of modern-day Pakistan.
The country today is an ethnic and linguistic patchwork (more than 70 languages are spoken in Pakistan), and the people mirror the incredible diversity of the geography.
Pakistan has more than 200 public and private higher education institutions, some of which date back to when the country was first established. After the creation of Pakistan as an independent country, the government built several universities to provide vital skills to the newly formed republic, especially in the sciences and engineering. That legacy continues to this day, with many universities retaining a focus on science, medicine and technology.
Many Pakistani universities actively encourage foreign students to enrol, and large numbers choose to study in Pakistan. Students come from as far afield as Saudi Arabia, Africa and China, as well as some from America and Europe. Higher education is delivered in English at all public universities in Pakistan, which, combined with the relatively low cost of living, makes studying here an attractive option. These are the best universities in Pakistan based on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.
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Top universities in Pakistan
=1. Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan was set up in 2009 and was named after Abdul Wali Khan, a British Indian and later Pakistani secular democratic socialist and Pashtun leader.
The university is located in Mardan, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the north of the country.
The university has nine campuses, including the main campus (which is home to the central library), the University College for Women, the University College of Science Shankar, the Rashid Hussain Shaheed campus, the Riffat Mahal campus, the Timergara campus, the Pakhtunkhwa College of Arts, the College of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, and the Garden campus. The last is home to laboratories, one of the region’s largest libraries, computer labs, several hostels for students and a sports complex.
=1. Quaid-i-Azam University
Quaid-i-Azam University – previously named Islamabad University – was established in 1967 and is based in Islamabad.
It has four faculties and nine other teaching and research Institutes, centres and schools, and the main areas of research involve biological sciences, natural sciences, social sciences and medicine.
The campus is located at the foot of the Margalla Hills, a range at the base of the Himalayas. It is a well-known spot for birdwatching, hiking and climbing. A canal runs through the campus.
The university has close links with several universities in Europe, South Asia and the United States.
3. COMSATS University Islamabad
The COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) was established in 1994 by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, an intergovernmental organisation whose goal is to promote sustainable growth in developing countries through science and technology. It is spread over seven campuses, with the main campus being in the capital city, Islamabad.
Although still a young institution, it has gained a strong reputation in the region for its research and teaching, especially in the fields of IT and computer science, and it is highly placed in regional rankings as a result. The Islamabad campus is home to more than 5,000 students, while about 30,000 more attend classes at its satellite campuses in Abbottabad, Attock, Vehari, Lahore, Wah and Sahiwal.
With six faculties, the university offers a wide range of degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Subjects are split into 22 departments, which between them offer 100 academic programmes. Teaching takes place in English, and the comparatively low cost of tuition makes this an attractive option for international students wishing to specialise in information technology or computer science.
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Top universities in Pakistan 2021
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2021 results.
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