Peshawar, June 19, 2026: In a landmark development for higher education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government has released its first-ever comprehensive university rankings, evaluating public and private institutions across the province on performance-based indicators.
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Ranking 2026, a total of 43 universities were assessed under a structured evaluation framework designed to measure academic quality, research output, governance, infrastructure, and institutional performance.
IMSciences Peshawar Leads the Province
The Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences) Peshawar secured the top position in the provincial rankings, emerging as the best-performing university in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Officials stated that IMSciences demonstrated strong performance across multiple indicators including academic excellence, faculty quality, and institutional efficiency.
Top Performing Universities in KP Rankings 2026
The second position was secured by Hazara University Mansehra, which achieved a high relative score of 95.02.
In third place, Pak Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST) Haripur ranked among the leading emerging technology-focused institutions with a score of 91.28.
Other notable universities in the top five include:
- University of Malakand – 4th position
- University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar – 5th position
Strong Performance by Leading Institutions
The rankings also highlighted consistent performance from several prominent universities, including:
- Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
- Khyber Medical University
- Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
These institutions were recognized for their contributions to engineering, medical sciences, and general higher education development in the province.
Lower-End Rankings and Data Gaps
At the lower end of the ranking list, the University of Shangla was placed last among institutions that submitted complete data, with a relative score of 8.61.
Meanwhile, Preston University Kohat was listed separately due to non-submission of required institutional data, highlighting ongoing challenges in data transparency and reporting compliance.
Purpose of the Provincial Ranking System
According to officials, the ranking system has been introduced to create a transparent and performance-based evaluation framework for higher education institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The assessment focuses on multiple indicators, including:
- Academic quality and teaching standards
- Research output and innovation
- Governance and administrative efficiency
- Infrastructure and learning environment
- Graduate employability and industry linkage
Education authorities stated that the initiative aims to encourage healthy competition among universities and improve overall education standards across the province.
Encouraging Step for Higher Education in KP
Experts believe that the release of provincial rankings marks an important milestone in higher education reform in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. By introducing measurable benchmarks, universities are expected to focus more on quality improvement, research development, and global competitiveness.
The rankings are also expected to help students and parents make more informed decisions regarding higher education choices within the province.
