Study in Pakistan
Who this applies to
Students at Pakistani universities. English-medium (+ Urdu). Public affiliating universities + autonomous elite + private sector.
Governing authority
Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan (the UGC-equivalent regulator).
Degree system
Bachelor 4 yrs (medicine/engineering longer) · Master · PhD. British-derived affiliating universities + autonomous elite institutes (NUST/LUMS/Aga Khan); intermediate (FSc/HSSC) → entry.
Admission
- How
- Intermediate (FSc/HSSC) + institution entrance tests (ECAT engineering, MDCAT medical, NTS/university tests); international students apply directly.
- Language
- English (+ Urdu).
Tuition
- Public
- Subsidized for nationals at public universities.
- Private
- Fee-paying (LUMS/Aga Khan premium).
- Note
- HEC reforms expanded the sector; QAU & NUST reach the global top ~371; large affiliating universities (Punjab, Karachi) enroll 40,000+ on-campus plus hundreds of thousands off-campus.
Student visa & residence permit
Student visa for non-nationals.
Scholarships
HEC scholarships (incl. for Afghan/international students); institutional (LUMS NOP).
Sources & references
- HEC/rankings — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankings_of_universities_in_Pakistan (2026-06-12)
- QAU — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaid-i-Azam_University (2026-06-12)
Universities in Pakistan
~250+ HEIs (HEC-recognized): large public affiliating universities + autonomous elite (NUST/LUMS/Aga Khan) + private sector. English-medium (+ Urdu). British-derived system; ~48 universities ranked by THE. institutions, 7 profiled
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU)
Islamabad
National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST)
Islamabad
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
Lahore
University of the Punjab (PU)
Lahore
University of Karachi (UoK)
Karachi
Aga Khan University (AKU)
Karachi
University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (UET)
Lahore