Iranian Universities Surge 20% in Global Rankings: A Breakthrough in Academic Excellence!
The recent Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 has highlighted the academic prowess of Iranian institutions by featuring 101 universities among the world’s top universities, marking an increase from 85 in 2025. This year’s rankings evaluated a total of 2,191 universities across 115 countries and territories, introducing 99 new institutions compared to the previous year.
The THE World University Rankings is renowned for its comprehensive evaluation of research-intensive universities, assessing them across their core missions such as teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. The latest methodology incorporates 18 meticulously calibrated performance indicators, ensuring balanced comparisons that are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, and even governmental bodies.
Among the standout institutions from Iran, the following universities have made notable global rankings:
- 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 – Global rank: 401-500
- University of Tehran – Global rank: 401-500
- Shiraz University of Technology – Global rank: 501-600
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences – Global rank: 501-600
In addition, twelve other Iranian universities ranked between 601-800 globally, including:
- Alborz University of Medical Sciences
- Babol Noshirvani University of Technology
- Babol University of Medical Sciences
- Golesran University
- Iran University of Medical Sciences
- Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
- Isfahan University of Technology
- Lorestan University of Medical Sciences
- Qazvin University of Medical Sciences
- Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
- Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
- Tarbiat Modares University
- University of Tabriz
- Urmia University of Medical Sciences
On a global scale, the 2026 rankings saw Oxford University retain its position as the number one university for the tenth year in a row, largely due to its robust research environment. Interestingly, Princeton University has climbed to joint third place, marking its best-ever finish. Additionally, China now boasts five universities in the top 40, an increase from three last year, reflecting its expanding academic influence. Meanwhile, Hong Kong has achieved a record six entries in the top 200, thanks to advancements in teaching metrics.
In a parallel development, the 2024 World University Rankings by the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) has recognized 72 Iranian universities, a rise from 69 in 2023. This ranking evaluated a total of 426 universities from 31 Islamic countries, with Iran ranking second after Turkey.
Here are some key details from the 2024 rankings:
- Tehran University – Ranked 401-500, the highest in Iran
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences – Ranked 501-600
- Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences – Improved from 801-900 to 601-700
- Sharif University of Technology – Ranked fourth
- Tarbiat Modares University – Ranked fifth
In the Shanghai University Rankings 2025, six Iranian universities made it to the top 1,000, a decrease from nine in 2024. Notably, the Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the University of Tehran both secured positions within the top 500.
The July edition of the Webometrics world ranking included 64 medical universities from Iran, maintaining the same count from January. Among these, Tehran University of Medical Sciences ranked 485th globally, placing it as the only Iranian university within the top 500 institutions.
In terms of sustainable development goals, the Times Higher Education recognized 34 Iranian universities, a slight increase from 33 in 2024. The Iran University of Medical Sciences achieved a global ranking of 301-400, leading the nation in this category.
Key achievements in sustainable development include:
- Iran University of Medical Sciences – 48th in good health and well-being
- Alzahra University – 85th in gender equality
- Kerman University of Medical Sciences – 89th in gender equality
Finally, the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2026 maintains nine Iranian universities in the global rankings, consistent with 2025. The University of Tehran leads with a global rank of 322, followed by:
- Sharif University of Technology – Rank 375
- Amirkabir University of Technology – Rank 456
- Iran University of Science and Technology – Rank 496
- Isfahan University of Technology – Rank 571
- University of Tabriz – Rank 578
- Shiraz University – Rank 701-710
- Shahid Beheshti University – Rank 741-750
- Ferdowsi University of Mashhad – Rank 951-1000
The Round University Ranking (RUR) 2025 also recognized 36 Iranian universities among the top global institutions, an increase from 32 in 2024, showcasing the continued growth and enhancement of higher education in Iran.
