HEC announces university rankings

ISLAMABAD: Quaid-e-Azam University has been ranked Pakistan’s best university in the general category, according to rankings for 2015 released by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

University of Punjab in Lahore and National University of Science and Technology (NUST) secured second and third positions respectively, as per the HEC as chairperson Dr Mukhtar Ahmed unveiled the rankings of 129 universities in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Here’s how 6 Pakistani universities ranked worldwide

The ranking was finalised on basis of quality assurance, teaching quality, research, finance and facilities and social integration and community development. “Community development will be integral part in universities to create the environment of social integration and affiliation,” the HEC chairman said.

In overall ranking, QAU and PU were not a surprise but NUST which secured third spot jumped three spots higher than last year. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad dropped to the fourth position after securing second place last year. Similarly, Comsats Institute of Information Technology dropped down to sixth position compared to fourth last year.

NUST tops rankings for Engineering & Technology

National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) in Islamabad retained the top slot in the “Engineering & Technology” category, while Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad remained in second place.

LUMS or IBA?

Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi emerged on the third spot pushing University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore to fifth place.

Iqra University tops rankings for Business Education

Surprisingly, Iqra University, Karachi emerged as the highest-ranked university in the category of Business Education. The university did not make it to the top five last year. However, the HEC chairman explained, “The university is producing some good number of PhDs and that is why it has been ranked the highest.”

The five things you got wrong about LUMS

Lahore School of Economics, Lahore retained its second place while Institute of Business Administration, Karachi dropped down to third position.

University of Agriculture in Faisalabad tops rankings for Agriculture/Veterinary

University of Agriculture in Faisalabad and University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences in Lahore retained the first and second place in “Agriculture/Veterinary” category respectively. University of Agriculture, Peshawar which was previously ranked fourth jumped one spot higher to be ranked third.

Aga Khan University tops rankings for Medicine

Aga Khan University was accorded the highest rank in the disciplines of “Medicine”. The medical university in Karachi was followed by University of Health Sciences in Lahore and DOW University of Health Sciences in Karachi, respectively.

Why Pakistani universities need to offer more than just social sciences and BBA

The rankings for this category remained the same as last year except Isra University, Hyderabad secured fifth position after replacing Riphah International University, Islamabad which did not make it to the top 13 of this category.

NCA tops rankings for Arts

Of only two universities ranked by the HEC for Arts, the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore secured the first rank, while Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi came in second.

The HEC chief further stated that the data for 2014-15 will be finalised in the ongoing year and its ranking would be released in the same year.

University rankings: QAU, Aga Khan lead rankings

LAHORE: 

A new ranking of universities based on dissemination of research in academic conferences and its publication in internationally renowned journals was published on Friday by the Information Technology University.

The Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, topped the ranking in the broad category and the Aga Khan University in the specialised category.  The ranking, Quality Research Rankings (QRR) of Pakistani Institutions, was prepared by the ITU’s Scientometrics Lab. As many as 200 universities and research institutions across the country were evaluated for the ranking.

In the broad category of institutes, the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology secured second position; the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, third; the National University of Sciences and Technology fourth; the University of the Punjab fifth; the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences sixth; the University of Karachi seventh; the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, eighth; the Government College University, Lahore, ninth; and the University of Peshawar tenth.

In the specialised category, the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology stood second; the Lahore University of Management Sciences third; the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering fourth; the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences fifth; the NED University of Engineering and Technology Pakistan sixth; the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, seventh; the University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, eighth; the NWFP Agricultural University ninth; and the University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi tenth.

In his statement on the launch of the ranking, ITU Vice Chancellor Umar Saif said dissemination of research work produced by universities at academic conferences and its publication in renowned journals was the criteria for the rankings. He said the ranking showed where various Pakistani universities stood in terms of producing international quality research.

ITU Scientometrics Lab head Saeedul Hassan said he hoped the ITU-QRR would encourage universities to invest in production of quality research work. He said the details of factors considered in the ranking could be accessed through the ITU website.

Peking University

A consistent contender among the top universities in China, Peking University is a prestigious research university belonging to China’s C9 League. Established in 1898 and located in Beijing, Peking University currently has a student base of 30,000, around half of which are postgraduate. As well as its leading academic offering, Peking University’s campus grounds are loved for their traditional Chinese architecture.

Peking University ranks among the world’s best in 31 out of 36 subjects covered by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015. Its highest rankings are for accounting & finance, chemistry, dentistry, English language & literature, environmental studies, modern languages, law & legal studies and pharmacy & pharmacology. It’s also within the world’s top 50 in another 14 subjects.

Edward Waters College in Jacksonville

Located in downtown Jacksonville, this regionally-accredited, private institution is a historically black college that was founded in 1866 to educate newly-freed slaves. This private, not-for-profit institution has just under 800 students. Edward Waters College won’t accept just anyone to boost enrollment; the acceptance rate is 23 percent.

The college offers students bachelor’s degrees in eight academic programs including communications, music, psychology, criminal justice, biology, elementary education, mathematics and business administration. Class size is generally 15-20 students, which allows for increased student-instructor interaction. The oldest building on campus, Centennial Hall, contains the Obi-Scott-Umunna Collection of African Art and is part of the National Register of Historic Places. Edward Waters College is accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Most Popular Universities

Located in Orlando and with twelve satellite campuses throughout Central Florida, theUniversity of Central Florida is the second largest university in the United States. It offers 211 degree programs and is an academic leader in fields such as optics, modeling and simulation, engineering and computer science, business administration, and education. The most popular majors at the University of Central Florida include marketing, psychology, education, engineering and business. With nearly 60,000 students and occupying 1,415 acres, the University of Central Florida is the largest university in the United States by undergraduate enrollment and is the second largest university based on total enrollment.

The sheer size of the university, combined with over 230,000 alumni worldwide, allows University of Central Florida to provide students with a rich education combined with virtually unlimited social and networking opportunities. Newsweek has ranked the main campus as among the 20 most beautiful campuses in the country. The seventh largest research park in the nation, Central Florida Research Park, is located directly south of the main campus and provides jobs to thousands of university graduates at over 116 corporations. The University of Central Florida is accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Florida State University in Tallahassee,

Net Price: $19,548 per year

Located in downtown Tallahassee, Florida State University was ranked No. 95 by U.S. News and World Report in their 2015 “Best Colleges” ranking. The university boasts attendance of over 32,000 students, but it can be selective with applicants; just over 56 percent of applicants were accepted for the 2014-2015 academic year. The most popular majors at FSU include finance, international relations, English language and literature, psychology and criminal justice. The gender distribution is 45 percent male students and 55 percent female students.

Florida State University features the state’s National Laboratory – the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. The university also operates the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the State Art Museum of Florida. Funding for STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is plentiful as the university leads Florida in four of eight areas of external funding. The university sports teams, nicknamed the Florida Seminoles, have been well represented on the national stage, having won thirteen national team championships and multiple individual championship awards. Florida State University is accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.