27 HEC-recognised universities · 17 public · 6 private · 1,315 programmes
Islamabad is home to 27 HEC-recognised universities — 17 in the public sector and 6 in the private sector — together offering 1,315 degree programmes (526 bachelor's, 483 master's, 268 PhD, 38 diploma). The strongest fields are Computer Science & IT and Social Sciences. The oldest institution here is Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), established in 1957.
COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad Campus is the principal seat of one of Pakistan's largest public universities. Established in 1998 as the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology under the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, it received its federal charter in 2000 and was upgraded to a full federally chartered university in April 2018 under the COMSATS University Islamabad Act. Located on Park Road, Tarlai Kalan, the Islamabad campus hosts faculties and departments spanning Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Management Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biosciences, Health Informatics, Meteorology, Humanities, Architecture, and Art and Design, offering BS, MS and PhD programmes. CUI is consistently ranked among Pakistan's leading universities in computer science, information technology and engineering in QS and Times Higher Education rankings, and is known for…
The National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NUCES), Islamabad campus, is the flagship campus of Pakistan's first private university to receive a federal charter, granted in July 2000 and sponsored by the Foundation for Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST, established 1980). Located on A.K. Brohi Road in Sector H-11, the campus is one of the most sought-after computer science institutions in Pakistan, renowned for the rigour of its admission test, the strength of its alumni in global technology companies, and consistently high rankings in computing and IT. It offers BS programmes in computer science, software engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security, electrical engineering and business, with MS and PhD programmes across computing, engineering and management. Admission is via the NU admission test conducted nationwide, with SAT/NTS scores…
The Institute of Space Technology (IST), Islamabad is a public sector university established in 2002 under the ordinance of the National Command Authority, dedicated to space science and technology education in support of Pakistan's national space programme. Located on Islamabad Highway, IST is the country's leading institution for aerospace engineering, avionics, satellite technology, astronomy and astrophysics, remote sensing and GNSS, with PEC-accredited engineering programmes and strong links to SUPARCO and international partners including Beihang University and the University of Surrey. The institute offers BS, MS and PhD programmes across aerospace, avionics, electrical, mechanical and materials engineering, space science and applied mathematics, and is ranked among Pakistan's top engineering universities by the HEC. Undergraduate admission is via the IST entry test (with ECAT/NET scores also considered), followed by merit-based selection.
National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) is one of Pakistan's leading public research universities, established in 1991 by the Government of Pakistan and granted its University Charter in 1993 through a Presidential Ordinance. Headquartered at the H-12 campus in Islamabad, NUST operates as a federated, multi-campus university bringing together more than a dozen constituent schools and colleges, including civilian institutions such as the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (SEECS), NUST Business School (NBS), School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), School of Art, Design & Architecture (SADA) and NUST School of Health Sciences (NSHS), alongside military-affiliated colleges such as the Military College of Signals (MCS), College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering (CEME), College of Aeronautical Engineering (CAE) and Pakistan Navy Engineering…
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad is a federally chartered public research university located at Nilore on Lehtrar Road. Tracing its origins to the Reactor School established in 1967 and granted degree-awarding university status in 2000, PIEAS is consistently ranked as Pakistan's top engineering university by the HEC and features prominently in QS World University Rankings for engineering and technology. Closely affiliated with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, PIEAS specialises in nuclear engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical and chemical engineering, materials science, medical physics and computational sciences, and is renowned for its research culture, fully funded postgraduate fellowships and highly selective intake. Admission to BS programmes is via the PIEAS entry test with one of the most competitive merit cut-offs in Pakistan, while MS and PhD…
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad is a federal public sector university established in July 1967 under an Act of the National Assembly, and is consistently ranked among the top universities in Pakistan in international rankings such as QS and Times Higher Education. Spread over a scenic 1,700-acre campus at the foot of the Margalla Hills, QAU began as a research university offering MPhil and PhD degrees and today runs BS, MPhil/MS and PhD programmes across its Faculties of Natural Sciences, Biological Sciences and Social Sciences, with an affiliated Faculty of Medicine. The university hosts renowned national institutes including the National Institute of Psychology, the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, the Quaid-i-Azam School of Management Sciences, the School of Economics, the School of Politics and International Relations and the Taxila Institute of…
Air University (AU) is a federally chartered public sector university established in 2002 by the Pakistan Air Force, with its main campus in Sector E-9, Islamabad and additional campuses and constituent units including Fazaia Medical College Islamabad, the College of Flying Training Risalpur and campuses in Kamra (Aerospace and Aviation) and Multan. Ranked among Pakistan's top universities in the Engineering and Technology category by the HEC, Air University is best known for its engineering programmes in electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, aerospace, avionics and biomedical engineering, alongside strong faculties of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, the Air University School of Management (AUSOM), and distinctive programmes such as Aviation Management and Strategic Studies. The university offers BS/BE, MS/MPhil, MBA and PhD degrees, with MBBS taught at Fazaia Medical College under NUMS admission criteria. Undergraduate…
Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad, established in 1974 under an Act of Parliament, is Asia's first open university and among the largest universities in the world by enrolment, serving well over a million students through distance, blended and online education. Headquartered in Sector H-8 with dozens of regional campuses nationwide, AIOU makes higher education accessible to students, working professionals and women in remote areas, offering programmes from matriculation and intermediate through BS, BEd, MSc/MPhil and PhD across its faculties of Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, Education, and Arabic and Islamic Studies. The university is a pioneer of teacher education and literacy programmes in Pakistan and admission to most programmes is open and merit-free, with semester-based enrolment windows in spring and autumn.
Bahria University is a public sector university established in 2000 by the Pakistan Navy, headquartered on Shangrila Road, Sector E-8, Islamabad. In the federal capital it operates three campuses: the E-8 main campus (business, computing, law, social sciences, media and psychology), the H-11 campus (engineering, earth and environmental sciences) and the Health Sciences Campus at Naval Anchorage, with further campuses in Karachi and Lahore. A comprehensive multidisciplinary university offering more than 84 degree programmes across 13 disciplines, Bahria is particularly noted for computing, engineering, business, law, maritime studies, psychology and earth sciences, with distinctive offerings such as LLM in International and Maritime Laws and MS Maritime Trade and Logistics that reflect its naval heritage. Admission to undergraduate programmes is via the Bahria University Entry Test (BUET) with programme merit lists…
International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) is a public university established in 1980 and reconstituted under a Presidential Ordinance in 1985, created to integrate Islamic values with modern academic disciplines. Based in Islamabad with its historic campus at the iconic Faisal Mosque and its main campus in Sector H-10, IIUI is one of the largest universities in the federal capital, serving tens of thousands of students including international students from dozens of countries, with separate male and female campuses. The university teaches through faculties of Shariah and Law, Usuluddin (Islamic Studies), Arabic, Languages and Literature, Management Sciences, Social Sciences, Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Computing and Information Technology, Education, and the International Institute of Islamic Economics, offering BS, MS/MPhil, LLM and PhD programmes. IIUI is particularly renowned for Islamic law, Shariah, Arabic…
National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad is a federally chartered public sector university in Sector H-9, founded in 1969 as the National Institute of Modern Languages and upgraded to full university status in May 2000. NUML is Pakistan's premier institution for language education, teaching more than two dozen oriental and occidental languages including English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu, alongside full faculties of Management Sciences, Social Sciences, and Engineering and Computer Science. With regional campuses in cities across Pakistan and a large international student community, NUML serves as a national hub for linguistics, translation and area studies while offering BS, MA/MS/MPhil and PhD degrees in languages, computing, business, media and social sciences. Admission is through the NUML entry test with programme-wise merit…
Riphah International University is a private chartered university established in 2002 by the Islamic International Medical College Trust, with the stated mission of producing professionals with Islamic moral and ethical values. Headquartered in Islamabad, it operates multiple campuses across Islamabad and Rawalpindi (Al-Mizan, I-14, G-7 City and Gulberg Green) plus campuses in Lahore, Faisalabad and Malakand, and runs its own network of teaching hospitals including Pakistan Railways Hospital. The university spans eight faculties: Health and Medical Sciences (Islamic International Medical and Dental Colleges, Riphah College of Nursing), Rehabilitation and Allied Health Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Computing, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Management Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Veterinary Sciences, offering roughly 74 undergraduate, 73 graduate and 29 doctoral programmes including MBBS, BDS, Pharm.D., DPT and DVM. MBBS and BDS admissions follow…
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Islamabad is the federal capital campus of SZABIST, a fully chartered degree-awarding institution established under Sindh Act No. XI of 1995 and recognized by the HEC. Located in Sector H-8/4, Islamabad, the campus teaches through four departments - Management Sciences, Computer Sciences, Social Sciences and Media Sciences - offering BBA, BS, MBA, executive programmes (EMBA, Professional MBA, MPM, MHRM) and MS/PhD degrees. SZABIST is known for its business and computing education, its media sciences programmes, and consistently appears in regional business school rankings; the wider SZABIST network spans Karachi, Islamabad, Larkana, Hyderabad, Gharo and a Dubai campus, with more than 6,500 degrees awarded. Admission is via the SZABIST admission test with an interview, and postgraduate applicants may also qualify through…
Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) is a federally chartered private sector university in Islamabad, located on the Islamabad Expressway at Kahuta Road. Tracing its roots to 1998 as the Islamabad campus of Mohammad Ali Jinnah University before receiving its own federal charter, CUST today offers around 49 programmes across seven faculties: Engineering, Computing, Management and Social Sciences, Health and Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Law and Associate Programs. The university is known for PEC-accredited engineering programmes in electrical, mechanical, civil and computer engineering, modern computing degrees in artificial intelligence, cyber security and software engineering, plus Pharm.D., LLB and health sciences programmes, and promotes itself as Pakistan's largest energy-efficient campus with foreign-qualified faculty. Admission to undergraduate programmes is via the CUST admission test with programme merit lists (60 percent Intermediate marks…
Foundation University Islamabad (FUI) is a private chartered university established in 2002 under Federal Ordinance No. LXXXVIII, sponsored by the Fauji Foundation, Pakistan's largest welfare organization for ex-servicemen and their families. The university operates two main schools: the Foundation University School of Health Sciences (FUSH) in Rawalpindi, which houses Foundation University Medical College, the College of Dentistry, nursing and allied health programmes with clinical training at Fauji Foundation Hospital, and the Foundation University School of Science and Technology (FUSST) in DHA Islamabad, offering engineering, computing, business, media, psychology and English programmes. FUI awards BS/BBA, MBBS, BDS, DPT, MS/MPhil and PhD degrees and is ranked in the HEC general category. MBBS and BDS admissions follow MDCAT and PMDC criteria, while other programmes admit through the Foundation University entry test and interview,…