Out of 95, only 7 Pakistani Universities reach Top Research Category; Full List here

ISLAMABAD – Out of 95 universities evaluated in Pakistan’s latest HEC ORIC rankings, only seven reached top research category. While research activity increased significantly, most institutions still remain in mid or lower tiers, and the results show growing gap between rising research output and the limited number of universities achieving elite performance levels. Higher Education Commission (HEC) shared Annual ORIC (Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialization) Validation Report for FY 2024–25, revealing a sharp rise in research activity across Pakistani universities but a significant drop in funding success rates. Top Universities List Rank University ORIC Score 1 National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) 87 2 NED University of Engineering and Technology 86 3 University of Lahore 81.5 4 Sukkur IBA University 81 5 Air University 80.5 6 University of Agriculture Faisalabad 80.5 7 Ziauddin University 80.5 The report shows that Pakistan’s university research system is expanding rapidly, with more participation, more proposals, and stronger collaboration. However, the gap between research activity and funding availability is widening, and commercialization remains underdeveloped. One of the most notable findings of the report is a massive surge in research proposals. During FY 2024–25, universities submitted nearly 9,987 research proposals, compared to 2,237 in the previous year, reflecting a 346% increase. However, approvals did not increase at the same pace. Only 1,250 proposals were approved, resulting in a sharp decline in the overall success rate to 12.5%, down from 41% in the previous year. The report highlights strong growth in academic collaboration, with over 3,700 research linkages established, more than 1,300 collaboration agreements signed and around 523 joint research projects executed. Universities also showed progress in intellectual property and commercialization as IP filings increased to 549, IP grants rose to 146 and licensing