More Iranian universities in Round University Ranking 2026

More Iranian universities in Round University Ranking 2026

TEHRAN – The Round University Ranking (RUR) 2026 has placed 41 Iranian universities among the world's top universities, up from 36 in 2025.

This year’s ranking includes 1,313 universities from 99 countries, providing one of the most comprehensive views of institutional performance across the global higher education landscape.

RUR evaluates universities through a multidimensional methodology based on 20 indicators grouped into four core dimensions: Teaching, Research, International Diversity and Financial Sustainability. The methodology covers teaching capacity, research productivity and impact, international academic and student composition, international co-authorship, institutional income, research income, and other key performance areas.

Islamic Azad University, ranked 90 globally (up from 93 in 2025), ranks first in the country.

Tehran University of Medical Sciences ranks (119), University of Tehran (180), Iran University of Science and Technology (235), Sharif University of Technology (271), Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (323), University of Tabriz (375), Isfahan University of Technology (441), Shahid Beheshti University (457), and K.N. Toosi University of Technology (505), rank second to tenth.

Based on the Teaching Ranking dimension, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, and University of Tehran are placed first to third, with global rankings of 22, 48, and 109, respectively.

In the Research Ranking dimension, Iran University of Science and Technology (146), Sharif University of Technology (151), and Islamic Azad University (189) are the top three universities in the country.

In the International Diversity Ranking dimension, Islamic Azad University, with a global ranking of 313, is placed first, followed by University of Religions and Denomination (579), and Imam Hossein University (608).

In the Financial Sustainability Ranking dimension, Imam Hossein University (161), Iran University of Science and Technology (237), and Baqir al-Olum University rank first to third.

The 2026 edition of RUR confirms the continued expansion of international university benchmarking. Compared with the 2021 ranking cycle, the total number of ranked universities has increased from 872 to 1,313 institutions, representing an absolute growth of 441 universities, or 50.6 percent. Compared with the 2025 edition, the ranking expanded by 74 universities, reflecting a 6.0 percent year-on-year increase.

For university leaders, ranking offices, international departments, research offices and strategic planning teams, RUR provides a framework for understanding how institutional inputs are transformed into measurable performance outcomes. The ranking helps universities benchmark against peers, identify areas of relative strength and weakness, evaluate progress over time and support evidence-based institutional development.

Harvard University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania are the top five universities in RUR 2026.

Recent rankings

Shanghai University ranking 2026 has placed six Iranian universities among the top 1,000 institutions worldwide, unchanged compared to the past year. In total, more than 2500 universities are ranked, and the best 1000 are published.

Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the University of Tehran, with a global ranking of 501-600, are jointly placed first in the country, IRNA reported.

Amirkabir University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Sharif University of Technology, and Tarbiat Modares University rank third to sixth, respectively.

The 2026-2027 edition of the U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings has included 80 Iranian universities among the world’s 2,250 top universities.

The institutions from 105 countries have been ranked based on 13 indicators that measure their academic research performance and their global and regional reputations, which helps students to explore the higher education options that exist beyond their own countries’ borders and to compare key aspects of schools’ research missions.

University of Tehran (with a global ranking of 314), Islamic Azad University (460), Sharif University of Technology (578), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (585), University of Tabriz (663), Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (783), Tarbiat Modares University (783), Amirkabir University of Technology (791), and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (801) ranked first to tenth in the country, respectively, Mehr news agency reported.

The following is the ranking of these universities based on their global subject standings.

University of Tehran: Polymer Science (5), Green and Sustainable Science and Technology (17), Water resources (35), Pharmacology and Toxicology (59), Agricultural Sciences (65), Energy and Fuels (66), Engineering (68), Food Science and Technology (76), Plant and Animal Science (77), Mechanical Engineering (78), Civil Engineering (92), and Artificial Intelligence (104).

Islamic Azad University: Polymer Science (12), Green and Sustainable Science and Technology (26), Energy and Fuels (44), Mathematics (47), Mechanical Engineering (56), Food Science and Technology (59), Civil Engineering (66), Water Resources (69), Engineering (77), Pharmacology and Toxicology (77), Public, Environmental and Occupational Health (102), and Artificial Intelligence (107).

Sharif University of Technology: Mechanical Engineering (73) and Civil Engineering (109).

Tehran University of Medical Sciences: Polymer Science (32), Pharmacology and Toxicology (49), Public, Environmental and Occupational Health (86), and Food Science and Technology (96).

University of Tabriz: Water Resources (55), Polymer Science (66), and Food Science and Technology (69).

Mashhad University Medical Science: Public, Environmental and Occupational Health (77), and Pharmacology and Toxicology (97).

Tarbiat Modares University: Water Resources (90); Amirkabir University of Technology: Polymer Science (49).

Tabriz University of Medical Sciences: Polymer Science (21), and Pharmacology and Toxicology (94).

The 2025 World University Rankings (WUR) report by the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) has included 76 Iranian universities, an increase from 72 in 2024.

Among the top universities of Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia ranks 229. Qatar (301-350), Malaysia (351-400), Iran, and the UAE (jointly rank 401-500) are placed next.

In the research criterion, Tehran University of Medical Sciences ranks first in the country. The university’s global ranking is 373, up from 501-600 in 2024.

In the education criterion, Graduate University of Advanced Technology (129), Iran University of Medical Sciences (214), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (255), Golestan University of Medical University (273), and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (340) are placed first to fifth.

In the international activity criterion, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (440), University of Tehran (465), and Amirkabir University of Technology (611) rank first to third.

In the innovation criterion, Amirkabir University of Technology ranks 774, and Sharif University of Technology ranks 804.

In the social impact criterion, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences rank 307, 410, and 427, respectively.

The 23rd edition of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (WUR), 2027, has placed 11 Iranian universities among the world’s top institutes, up from nine universities in 2026.

Sharif University of Technology (ranking 390) and Amirkabir University of Technology (483) are placed second and third.

The 16th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 has included 10 Iranian universities in three broad subject areas.

source: tehrantimes.com