Iran Tops Islamic Nations in 2025 Leiden Ranking: A Historic Achievement!

The 2025 Leiden University ranking system has recognized the academic excellence of Iranian institutions, placing 48 Iranian universities among the top 1,594 universities globally. This marks an increase from 46 universities in 2024, solidifying Iran’s position as the leading nation among Islamic countries in terms of the number of universities represented. The ranking is crucial for understanding the growth and impact of Iranian higher education on the global stage.

According to IRNA, a total of 184 universities from Islamic countries are included in this year’s Leiden Ranking. Here’s a brief comparison of the representation of universities from various Islamic nations:

• Turkey: 45 universities
• Saudi Arabia: 20 universities
• Pakistan: 16 universities
• Egypt: 15 universities

Among Iranian universities, the top three positions are held by:

1. University of Tehran: Ranked 166 globally
2. Tehran University of Medical Sciences: Ranked 235
3. Iran University of Science and Technology: Ranked 361

The list continues with notable institutions such as:

• Tarbiat Modares University (372)
• Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (383)
• Amirkabir University of Technology (408)
• University of Tabriz (508)
• Sharif University of Technology (510)
• Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (512)
• Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (525)

The Leiden Ranking is renowned for its comprehensive indicators of scientific impact, collaboration, open access publishing, and gender diversity. It uniquely evaluates performance through both absolute and relative metrics, ensuring a well-rounded representation of university capabilities. This year’s ranking is based on publications from the period of 2020 to 2023.

In comparison to other university rankings, the Leiden Ranking stands out by offering advanced bibliometric indicators. The methodology is thoroughly documented, emphasizing research output rather than self-reported data from the universities, which enhances the reliability and independence of the findings. This approach recognizes the complexity of universities, which cannot be adequately represented by a single numerical score.

Recent rankings indicate a positive trend for Iranian universities:

• The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 features 101 Iranian universities, up from 85 in 2025.
• This year’s rankings include 2,191 institutions from 115 countries, with 99 new entries compared to the previous year.

Noteworthy Iranian universities in the Times Higher Education rankings include:

• Amirkabir University of Technology (Global Rank: 351-400)
• Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (Global Rank: 351-400)
• Sharif University of Technology (Global Rank: 351-400)

Iran University of Science and Technology and University of Tehran are both placed within the ranks of 401-500 globally. Other universities such as Shiraz University of Technology and Tehran University of Medical Sciences rank between 501-600.

The 2024 World University Rankings report by the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) showcases 72 Iranian universities, an increase from 69 in the previous year. This ranking includes:

• A total of 426 universities from 31 Islamic countries, with Turkey leading at 102 universities.
• Iran follows with 72 universities, and Pakistan has 39.

Among the top-ranking universities in Islamic nations, Saudi Arabia is positioned at 172, while Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Egypt are collectively ranked between 401–450. Qatar sits between 451-500, with Turkey, the UAE, and Lebanon positioned between 501-600.

Tehran University has made significant strides, moving from a previous ranking of 501-600 in 2023 to 401-500 in 2024, maintaining its status as the top university in Iran. Tehran University of Medical Sciences follows closely, improving from 601-700 to 501-600 in the same period. Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences has also shown improvement, climbing from 801-900 to 601-700.

Additionally, the Shanghai University Ranking 2025 has recognized six Iranian universities among the top 1,000 globally, a decrease from nine in 2024. Notable mentions include:

• Tehran University of Medical Sciences and University of Tehran (401–500 globally)
• Tarbiat Modares University (701–800)
• Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Sharif University of Technology (801-900)
• Iran University of Medical Sciences (901–1000)

The Webometrics world ranking, updated in July, has maintained the inclusion of 64 medical universities from Iran, with 11 of them advancing in their rankings since January. The standout is Tehran University of Medical Sciences, which ranks among the top 500 globally.

Improvements have been seen across various Iranian universities, including:

• Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
• Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences
• Yazd University of Medical Sciences

These advancements highlight the growing prestige and recognition of Iranian universities on the global stage, reflecting their commitment to research and academic excellence.