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HEC releases Pakistan's top universities lists
Quaid-e-Azam University tops overall list, AKU comes in at 3, LUMS at number 10.
HEC releases its first ever ranking of all the 136 public and private universities in Pakistan.
LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday revealed the first-ever national academic ranking of universities, with Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad leading and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) landing at the 10th position in the overall list.
The ranking model has been developed by HEC’s Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) through stakeholder participation.
The ranking is based on the number of students, research productivity and quality, innovation and knowledge transfer, infrastructure, annual graduate output, international collaborations, student satisfaction and financial health of the institution.
The overall ranking is as follows:
- Quaid-e-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
The ranking are also based on categories including Agriculture/Veterinary, Art & Design, Computer Sciences & IT, Engineering & Technology, Business Education and Medical.
Agriculture/Veterinary
- University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
- Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
- University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
- KPK Agriculture University, Peshawar
- Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam
Art & Design
- National College of Arts, Lahore
- Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture, Karachi
Computer Sciences & IT
- COMSAT Institute of Information Tech Islamabad
- National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences , Islamabad
- Qurtaba University D.I.Khan
- Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences, Quetta
- City University, Peshawar
Engineering & Technology
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad
- National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
- Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology, Topi
- University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore
- University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila
Business Education
- Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore
- Institute of Business Administration, Karachi
- Iqra University, Karachi
- Sukkur Institute of Business Administration
- National College of Business Administration & Economics, Lahore
Medical
- Aga Khan University, Karachi
- University of Health Sciences, Lahore
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi
- Isra University, Hyderabad
- Khyber Medical University, Peshawar
HEC RANKING CRITERIA AND WEIGHTS
Quality Assurance and Enhancement =60
Implementation status of QA criteria =18
Teaching Quality =42
Research =40
Total = 100
Correction: The Engineering & Technology category order was incorrect in an earlier version of this article. The correction has been made.
Reader Comments (344)
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Why this list does not include universities that offer social science programs like National Defence University, Islamabad?
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NCBA&E?! Are you kidding? Where’s Lahore School Of Economics?
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Where is UET Lahore ??
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Ghulam Ishaq Khan*
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Are you serious ?? city university Peshawar ?? :/
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This is a joke, LUMS at No.10, something is wrong, somewhere.
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UET Lahore is nowhere? :O I can’t believe that..:/Recommend
Iqra University going up the ladder:)!
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I would like to understand the basis of rating used in this list.
Its not representative of the real picture at all and is highly misleading.
LUMS at #10 ? Much after COMSAT ?
CS program at LUMS or SSE not mentioned at all ?
NCBA in the list but LSE missing ?
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Iqra University Rocks ! <3
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Now who is there to rank HEC??
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looks like standards of UET Lahore dropped?
IST is new surprised induction.
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and i was thinking LUMS,FAST,IBA,NUST,GIKI,NED,UET LAHORE,AGA KHAN, DOW :)
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This is dumb!
This may be a politically correct list…definitely not an accurate one….
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which type of people are there in Quality assurance committee?
Did anyone of them even knows what quality means :/
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is that a joke?
Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University?
Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences?
Qurtaba University D.I.Khan?
Really?????
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What a joke!! Whats the criteria??
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COMSATS ranked higher than LUMS – brilliant.
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WoW… Enjoy this episode of comedy :)
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Its a joke ! NCBA in Top 5….
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ask anybody in Karachi and they would prefer IoBM & Szabist over Iqra anytime. I work in probably the best company of Pakistan in Fertilizer sector and we usually prefer IBA & LUMS grads. IoBM (CBM) students have an outside chance. NONE of our employees are Iqra/Quid e azam uni/ Comsat/ National college of business admin grads. This rating is bogus.
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Now students should aim at getting admission at PIR Mehr Shah, :). had they been rating US schools, Harvard and MIT would not have even made it to top 100
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Seriously????? Where is Fast lhr?
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Where is PFI – Pakistan Forest Institute Peshawar – Mother Institute for Forestry. :p
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Really surprised to see such ranking…
or I think itz on the basis of how many research paper an institute have published?
king edward medical not in the list…?
and aga khan uni going down…?
amazing….
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Its 2012 but still we are unable to make a benchmark in ranking our universities. This is absolute quantitative analysis not qualitative. Word ‘Ranking’ seems to be a joke after reading this list. I think HEC is wasting their precious time in making these kind of ambiguous list which are not supposed to believed by almost 90% readers.
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where is Gift university ?????????????????????? :)
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Of course everyone here will show bias towards his/her own institute. But I think the list is quite well. we can’t say which university is good or bad just because the merit for admission of in it high or low. There are many other things that matter too.Recommend
UET Peshawar is lagging behind because of our poor management . very very corrupt.Recommend
where is PIDE , Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
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COMSATS …Really! :D
I am so lucky to be graduated from comsats then..
WAY TO GO COMSATS :)
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The ranking is based on alot many things as mentioned. That being said, AKU all the way baby!!!
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You have got to be kidding me! Where is Lahore School of Economics? :S
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there is no mention of NED :O
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NCBAE conducts a lot of research in the field of Business administration and Economics. I guess research output plays a part as well. NCBAE is up there with the best if you consider research output.
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where’s university of karachi???
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hahaha .. what a joke
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I think rather than busting the body who came up with the list, let’s first appreciate that they took the first step. Secondly, there is no question about it that they need to expand the scope of variables usually covered by other universities in developed countries such as employment rate, time to employment, salaries – starting and changes 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years after graduation, alumni in C-level suite locally and internationally, and return on investment.
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this is the most rubbish peace of ranking in the history of our planet , thanks to the education department of our government.Recommend
wheres fast uni???
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Guys listen,to understand HEC’s criteria go to this link:
http://beta.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/QALI/Others/RankingofUniversities/Pages/Introduction.aspx
I believe everything is well justified apart from UET,Lahore’s exclusion & even being NUSTian I can feel the heat.Besides bottom line is right now there’s no use of these rankings for students because internationally these are not recognized & in Pakistan reference matters not rankings. Cheers:)
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Where is NED, UET Lahore & Mehran in Engineering universities list? Dow in medicine?
Iqra…….definitely a big NO!
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This mean.. no one should rely on these list for admission in these universities.. I run a company with 40+ employees and would give priority to the person from #10 university in this list
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Also not to forget NCBAE does have visiting faculty teaching there from even LUMS as well. It is a private university with another huge campus coming up at Raiwind,Lahore. Just that you know,NCBAE is now Lahore Metropolitan University and is also starting University of London’s external program soon as well. From the looks of it, NCBAE is next LSE, IoBM and with UoL externals starting soon, is going to be like SZABIST. Whatever the case HEC looks at research as well and this is why NCBAE, LUMS, IBA, Iqra, Sukkur IBA are at top because SZABIST and LSE do not produce enough research. They dont even produce PhD the way LUMS,NCBAE and other produces. This too is a fact.
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The ranking is based on the number of students, research productivity and quality, innovation and knowledge transfer, infrastructure, annual graduate output, international collaborations, student satisfaction and financial health of the institution.
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FAST missin from the CS and IT list, and Comsats being on top?… i mean seriously?Recommend
HEC trolling -_- we are not amused at all HEC
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this must b a joke yar…comsats top of lums…:P….no lahore school of economics..:D….ncba is in list……GIKI….??uet lahore???….thts wrong…..:P
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city unv r0ckxxxx lub yewww ma unv…. c0ngrtxxx 2 all cityanxxxx
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I had a feeling that some thing like this would happen. Pakistanis abroad and in Pakistan will challenge the results.Unfortunately the moral is so low at the moment that every thing appears to be a fix – the brown envelope syndrome appears to people to be at work in all aspects of the national life of Pakistan. What a shame! that people now do not trust even simple things like ranking of educational institutions.
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Where is FAST???
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& where is BNU?
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Guys grow up, if you took admission in one uni and its merit has fallen down, then stop whinning. And those who are making fun of Balochistan and DI unis, cant small cities have good universities? Is it a Hard and fast rule that only Islamabad, Khi and Jamshoro can have good universities.
Face the reality rather than crying.
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Where is GCU Lahore??
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Ask anyone, as far as computer science is concerned, FAST is concerned as #1!! I disagree with this list :(Recommend
What is this? In which criteria they ranked the universities? I can not understand the ranking system!
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Quaid-e-Azam university the best proud to be part of best university of Pakistan
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University of health sciences in top 10 that is the joke of the century
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Management in Pakistan needs to learn the way to do things true for many dept. but in this case HEC, i don’t have problem with this list given the criteria on which it was made, which is poor to least what i can say, The one of the main purpose of ranking universities is to give prospective students a understanding of which university can highlight there prospect career opportunities, i am still failing to understand that what propose is being served with this kind of criteria, some known rankings can be observed to benchmark at least to what should be included in criteria
sample reference Guardian just to highlight the type of criteria to be used
Guardian Ranking just see the criteria
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I am surprised on people being surprised on not finding Lahore School of Economics in the list……come on people if LUMS is at number 10 LSE kahan ho gi top ranking unis mein :)
Otherwise too I don’t make much of these rankings, they are more like andhon mein kana raja stuff :)Recommend
@Anum: University of Karachi is in Karachi.. :D
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lol……. its fake
total points in “HEC RANKING CRITERIA AND WEIGHTS” are not 100 but 160 :D
HEC RANKING CRITERIA AND WEIGHTS
Quality Assurance and Enhancement =60
Implementation status of QA criteria =18
Teaching Quality =42
Research =40
Total = 100
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where is University of Peshawar? I thought it was relatively doing a good job. anyway, life happens;)
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@Mohammad:
yr LUMS research productivity is low, even ur VC admiited that
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No Lahore School of Economics?
This list is no where near accurate. It also doesn’t include so many other names. Disappointing.
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No NED? :/
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hahaha, good joke :P
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Where is LSE? GIK? and UET?
its one fine JOKE
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UMT has received W4 Category as a consequence of the inspection of the University on December 30, 2011 by a Committee approved by the HEC. Based on the information provided by the Quantitative Assessment Form (QAF) and recommendations by the Committee, the Chairman HEC approved categorization of the University in Category W4.
HEC Kindly update your ranking list …!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=383225981703428&set=a.161050203921008.36480.152839148075447&type=1&ref=nf
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Just thinking how difficult must be for students in KPK, Gligit / Baltistan, FATA, Baluchistan even lower Punjab and upper Sindh to gain access to good schools given the list I see released today.
Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad seems to enjoy the best of the opportunity – Hope we see more good schools coming out from all parts of country – as this is the only way to bring people from all parts of Pakistan into important positions as well as improving the distribution of wealth across different provinces.
More important from HSC is to decide the future strategy for higher education also based on this list.
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proud to be PIEASian
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NUML rocksssssssssssssss….Recommend
Where is the best Pakistani University that’s UET Lahore . What a joke .Recommend
Nice to see LUMS finally going down . Its not even funny how over-rated it is now-a-days.Recommend
Why are people so skeptical. May be their institution is not included in the list which has pricked them to consider rating not credible enough. Obviously rating raise some eyebrows but we should take it as an eye opener for the institutions claiming for long time to be on the top like UET Lahore, NED etc. One thing I am surprised to see UET Taxila in the list. It looks like they have improved a lot in last 20 years especially since I finished my engineering in 1996.
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Oh come on, where’s King Edward Medical University!!? :s
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whre is CBM?????
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Guys Calm down …….! Before talking or putting up your opinions over here , we need to understand the ranking criteria which is very clearly stated on HEC Website.
HEC is not ranking the universities on Market perception or employer evaluation.
Universities are being ranked on Campus facilities , number of PHD teachers , Research Paper output , number of students , Educations Standards , market reputation and similarly list goes on.
If you note down those criteria and then look at your university it would justify the result :))
By the way HEC ranking does matter outside Pakistan so take it seriously Cheers
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what a comic ranking? Meray tu. Ansoo he nahi ruk rahay khushi sy
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Quaid-e-Azam U. is indeed number 1. Their faculty is unmatched by any other university in the country. People need to understand that LUMS is only great in business and management, the remainder of the programs there are average.
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Well Many will challenge this list but can anyone tell which of these universities fall under top 1000 unis of the world- I am sorry guys but none
So stop arguing coz this list and it’s positions means nothing at international level
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SukkuR IBA RockS…. : )
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I can’t get 60+18+42+40=100 though- lol
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Biggest JOKE of the year by HEC………………………
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COMSATS…….Rokzzzz…Proud to be a Comsian…..
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now our education system would be like our politics?????????? for GOD SAKE leave us, now we are much much tired from such ruler.
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Comsats ROCKsss…………………..HEC best.Recommend
Disagree
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there may be some problem or misunderstandings in the criteria .the results just cant be swallowed at all,admissin criteria n selection on basis of high merits counts afterall.
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This is total crap. HEC has no sense at all devising a misleading ranking system playing with lives of millions. Good private Universities like CBM, SZABIST in Karachi are not even mentioned. Iqra University comes after LUMS and IBA, joke of the century.
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where is iiui?
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IBA Sukker ?? !! ?
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So finally LUMS beat IBA, Karachi as the best business school. However, the position the IBA students and alumni hold in the corporate world in another matter altogether.
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FAST not included … wow… NUST below PIEAS…. amazing…….. Comsats on top…….mysterious ………… IST at #5 …now thats really sucks……… nasty ranking ………. ….. Every one please raise voice against this ranking…….Recommend
there is no comparison between NUST and PIEAS… NUST is best
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The list should not be limited to Top 10, It must enlist all the universities with their respective ranking. Because many high profile universities like UET Lahore and many other are missing..
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Hail SZABIST
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@Ali:
Bhai Jhakas ranking hy…
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What’s so surprising?
HEC Rankings are always like this!!
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I am a Quaidian (Qauid i Azam Uni) …yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!
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This is just dumb, stupid and purely insane.
As much as the overall ranking has the need of getting fixed up, the field of Engg. and Technology needs to be completely revamped! Where are the three biggest and oldest engineering giants like UET Lahore, NED University and MUET?
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I would like to know that if the process had a transparency and how was it made unbiased? Details to prove that this judgment was made with honesty and right standards make it authentic otherwise any one can generate this type of list on their love!
Regards,
M Awan.
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I thought NED Karachi was one of the best Engineering University and I was proud of it! :)
but I Guess not! :( o.O
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WTH!!!!….where is MIT???????…..(Mughalabad Institute of Technology) :P
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where is GIFT university…….?:(Recommend
QAU is Best in all aspect.
Up Up Quaidians Up
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Disagree…..Recommend
@Paki living in USA: it is one of da bst university..we dont need to be listed in this fake list…Recommend
how come LUMS on 10th no. and IBA not their…..
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National College of Business Admin
?????????????????????????????????
Never even heard of it
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Where’s Kinnaird College for Women uni :-0
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I can’t beleive it!!!!!! It is a Joke :) where is NED & UET Lahore in Engineering & Tech… Also Lums & IBA rated lower than COMSAT…hahahah:)
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this is unfair….
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why is HEC ranking institutions? this should be done by an independent party – perhaps a newspaper. HEC ranking institutions is like NHA ranking roads ; Super Highway # 1 Lahore Motorway # 2… Coastal Highway # 5 ?
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LUMS on 10th????? ARE you FREAKING kidding me????? HEC ka dimagh khrab hochuka hai :D
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Interesting computations for making a list. Still what it really means is that some institutions have implemented recognized Quality control measures that make teachers accountable for performance. It also means that a lot of good institutions are not in the top ten because their teachers don’t understand the need for these measures. IBA for a long time had been in the dumps, with little research and their own graduates as teachers. Now they are making a comeback and becoming an institution worthy of their name. IQRA is this high up because it means they are taking these measures seriously and its a wake up call to the others
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where the heck is ned?? the university which is considered as no#2 in engineering after GIK …>Recommend
FAST…no where in the list…hmmm…?;D
Yaaar…buahhhahahah….n Comsats ….ppphhhuuuaahahaha…..oye market he ja k dekh lo…u cannot even compare LUMS ,FAST with COMSATS …not in any field…grow up evaluators…srsly
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Where is NUML, Islamabad????????
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LUMS IS RANKED #1 in MBA AND COMSATS #1 in IT…ACCEPT IT OR KEEEP CRYING…
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for those asking about UET lahore, Guys, air university and comsats etc have gone far ahead, why? because the quality and performance of graduates has gone down. other universities are forcing their students to give performance and they have better teachers, we ueteans are still in UET! UET UET! narra bazi mode.
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Where is Muridke Institute of Nuclear Sciences?! and the Patoki Advance Research Labs, I heard they have a very sound Physics program!
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The engineering university rankings are ridiculous. The only correct entries are LUMS as top in business and Aga Khan top in medical. The rest makes no sense.
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What about University of Management and Technology, Lahore?
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UHS Lahore at second? in front of Dow and KE. sham ranking.
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WA THA Hell? R U people so dumb n zombie’s, u people don’t even now ABC of Academics n came here to comment like some super-citizens. All, u sayin where is FAST? First u get to know that’s not Foundation on Applied or Advanced Sciences n Tech (FAST) any more. It’s NUCES now, go and findout urself. Then what if something pulls LUMS n LSE down? Wat they r doin after all? Quaid-e-AZAM n even Islamic Isb uni’s r far better than these . Get ur research on the way first, then comment here on some sophisticated Ph.D’s of Pak sitting n HEC.Recommend
Isra university in Hyderabad? Never heard of it.
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LUMS is not matchable to many universities given in this list. Being a private university, it has very limited funds. Moreover, it offers very limited disciplines. The graduate programs isn’t established yet and PhD program has hardly started now. Moreover, the number of students is also quiet low as compared to other big universities. So, in that sense, LUMS being number 10 is a BIG thing. however, that does not mean the quality of LUMS has gone down. Whatever LUMS offers, it makes sure it is the best. So, instead of adding new programs, it make sure it brings the present ones to the best standards. Get the point anyone?
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Its more of a college as yet, still in the process of becoming a complete university. Once it becomes one, I am sure it’ll beat ‘em all!
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I dont understand their criteria how university of peshawar is not included? its not fair they should revise it even Mehran Engg univ is excluded which is one of the pioneer institute of the country. regards
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The Best and will be PIEAS…Great!
Pieas Fellow
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BZU not where? WTH?Recommend
This ranking is based on international criteria, it is initiated by QS ranking pattern, which happens to be the international standard of ranking educational institutes, all the foriegn universities are ranked through this system.
Pakistan is the 1st Islamic country to follow these international ranking system.
P.S: AGRARIANS at # 4 … lovin ot ;)
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Its not ACCURATE.. Jst lyk a joke..
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Now this is amusing. Not the rankings, but the comments. One thing remains constant in them, regardless of other things: LUMS at 10?!?
This tells me that, regardless of whether the university is a compost heap in reality or not, I’ve made a sound investment in that it’s famous, ‘aur uska naam kafi hai.’
Cheerio! =DRecommend
Who cares? I am from an unknown university Forman Christian College in Lahore and I am glad to be so. I find it stupid to take pride in associating oneself with an overly publicized university. Instead, I rather graduate from a lesser known university and after graduation, I try to prosper in my field of education so that, one day, I can be the reason for the popularity and high-rankings of that institute.
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am i the only one who noticed the point system is flawed?!
i mean the morons calculate the following to be = 100?
Quality Assurance and Enhancement =60
Implementation status of QA criteria =18
Teaching Quality =42
Research =40
Total = 100
i think the total = 160!
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Where is NUML?
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Where is the University of Sindh, Jamshoro?Recommend
IQRA IS NUMBER 3RD!
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Remove FAST and ADD COMSATS and I agree with your list.
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Where is CBM AND SZABIST….????
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what it really means is that some institutions have implemented recognized Quality control measures that make teachers accountable for performance. It also means that a lot of good institutions are not in the top ten because their teachers don’t understand the need for these measures.IBA for a long time had been in the dumps, with little research and their own graduates as teachers. Now they are making a comeback and becoming an institution worthy of their name. IQRA is this high up because it means they are taking these measures seriously and its a wake up call to the others
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HEC is a joke!!!!
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If some universities were in top 10 or high rank a decade back then does this deal their ranking position meaning they cant go down the ranking table and other cant rise up. That’s what competitiveness and competition is all about. Grow up and look at the positive side of ranking.
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pathetic!
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MR.KAY u r wrong,, they distribute the 60 marks of quality assurance and enhancement in which
Implementation status of QA criteria =18
Teaching Quality =42
then it become 60…
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where is hamdard uni?
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LUMS not tops for computer science?
PU? Better than LUMS, NUST and UHS
NCBA&E better than Lahore School of Economics?
WHAT A JOKE
Try making a kids with a seat at AKU or LUMS (any discipline) give up his seat for any of the top ranked colleges… or Try making a teacher give up therie job at LUMS or AKU or NUST for that matter
Haha HEC haha. You have trolled us all.Recommend
quaidian once Quaidian….. for ever…proud to be Quaidian….
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