KP Introduces Pakistan’s First Provincial University Ranking System

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday unveiled Pakistan’s first-ever provincial university ranking system, introducing a performance-based framework aimed at improving governance, academic standards and competitiveness among higher education institutions across the province.
The rankings were announced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education and Local Government Mina Khan Afridi during a press conference attended by Information Minister Shafi Jan, vice chancellors and senior officials from public and private universities.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Afridi said the ranking framework had been developed after reviewing internationally recognised university assessment models as well as national ranking mechanisms, incorporating indicators considered most relevant to the provincial higher education sector.
He said the evaluation process was conducted on the basis of 12 major indicators and 66 sub-indicators, covering areas such as governance, academic excellence, research performance, student services, financial management and institutional development.
According to the minister, universities were assessed under four separate categories: Overall Rankings, General Universities, Technical & Professional Universities, Emerging Universities and Private Universities.
In the Overall University Rankings, Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences), Peshawar, secured the top position among 45 universities, followed by Hazara University in second place and Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST), Haripur, in third.
Under the General Universities Category, IMSciences ranked first, Hazara University second and the University of Malakand third.
In the Technical and Professional Universities Category, the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar, secured the top position, followed by Khyber Medical University (KMU) and the University of Agriculture, Peshawar.
The minister said a separate Emerging Universities Category had been introduced for institutions established after 2011. In this category, PAF-IAST secured first place, followed by Shuhad e APS University of Technology Nowshera in second place and the University of Haripur in third.
Among private-sector institutions, the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIKI) topped the rankings, while CECOS University of Information Technology and Emerging Sciences and Qurtuba University of Science and Information Technology, Dera Ismail Khan, secured the second and third positions respectively.
Mr Afridi described the initiative as a landmark reform in Pakistan’s higher education sector, saying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become the first province to institutionalize a university ranking system at the provincial level.
He announced that universities would, in future, receive performance-based grants linked to their rankings, encouraging healthy competition and continuous improvement in academic standards.
“The ranking exercise will be conducted annually to ensure accountability, transparency and quality enhancement across higher education institutions,” he said.
The minister further stated that the provincial government had established 14 universities over the past 13 years and was planning additional incentives and facilities for students in the upcoming provincial budget.
He expressed confidence that the ranking system would help universities improve their performance, strengthen research and innovation, and enhance their standing at both national and international levels.