Muslim universities outshine Israeli institutions in global rankings

DUBAI: As many as two universities from the Muslim world have been ranked among the top 100 in the World University Rankings.

The QS World University Rankings 2026, featuring over 1,500 institutions from more than 100 countries, highlight significant shifts in global higher education. Universities from the Muslim world and Asia have demonstrated remarkable progress, while the US continues to hold its leading position.

Malaysia's University of Malaya secured the 58th position, while Saudi Arabia's King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked 67th globally.

The rankings reflect significant progress by academic institutions in Muslim-majority countries, with Qatar University ranking 112 and the UAE's Khalifa University at 177.

Indonesia's University of Indonesia claimed the 189th spot, while Kazakhstan's Al-Farabi Kazakh National University ranked 166.

In comparison, Israel's Tel Aviv University was ranked 223, showcasing the region's diverse academic performance.

Middle East Technical University in Turkey ranked 269, while Iran’s University of Tehran stood at 322. Sultan Qaboos University in Oman was ranked 334, followed by Jordan University at 324.

Muslim and Israel's Universities Rankings

Malaysia

1. Universiti Malaya (UM) – Rank 58
2. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) – Rank 126
3. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) – Rank 134
4. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) – Rank 134
5. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) – Rank 153
6. Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) – Rank 251
7. Taylor's University – Rank 253
8. UCSI University – Rank 269
9. Sunway University – Rank 410
10. Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) – Rank 491

Saudi Arabia

1. King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) – Rank 67
2. King Saud University – Rank 143
3. King Abdulaziz University (KAU) – Rank 163
4. Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University – Rank 436
5. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) – Rank 491

Qatar

1. Qatar University – Rank 112
2. Hamad Bin Khalifa University – Rank 244

United Arab Emirates

1. Khalifa University – Rank 177
2. United Arab Emirates University – Rank 229
3. American University of Sharjah – Rank 272
4. University of Sharjah – Rank 328
5. Abu Dhabi University – Rank 391
6. Ajman University – Rank 440

Kazakhstan

1. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University – Rank 166
2. L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU) – Rank 317
3. Satbayev University – Rank 331

Indonesia

1. Universitas Indonesia – Rank 189
2. Gadjah Mada University – Rank 224
3. Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) – Rank 255
4. Universitas Airlangga – Rank 287
5. IPB University – Rank 399

Turkey

1. Middle East Technical University – Rank 269
2. Istanbul Technical University – Rank 298
3. Koç University – Rank 323
4. Sabanci University – Rank 404
5. Bilkent University – Rank 415
6. Bogaziçi Üniversitesi – Rank 371

Israel

1. Tel Aviv University – Rank 223
2. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem – Rank 240
3. Technion - Israel Institute of Technology – Rank 350
4. Ben-Gurion University of The Negev – Rank 469

Oman

1. Sultan Qaboos University – Rank 334

Jordan

1. University of Jordan – Rank 324
2. Jordan University of Science & Technology – Rank 461

Iran

1. University of Tehran – Rank 322
2. Sharif University of Technology – Rank 375
3. Amirkabir University of Technology – Rank 456
4. Iran University of Science and Technology – Rank 496

Uzbekistan

1. Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME) – Rank 469