Universities throughout the MENA area have made vital strides within the newest 2026 QS World College Rankings (WUR), reflecting a sustained push in attracting worldwide establishments and college students.
From a earlier checklist of 88 establishments featured within the rankings final yr, the numbers elevated to a complete of 115 in 2026, with the area’s most notable climb being that of King Fahad College of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, which has been listed within the prime 100 globally at a rank of 67 – a historic document for establishments within the area.
The 16 MENA nations additionally added 27 new entries from throughout 9 nations, second as a area solely to Asia, which added 54 new establishments from throughout 19 nations.
Amongst these, the College of Tripoli marked Libya’s debut within the QS WUR. Other than Libya, solely two different nations, Guatemala and Honduras, entered the rankings for the primary time this yr, every with one establishment.
When analyzing year-on-year modifications, some 53% of establishments within the MENA area both maintained or improved their world rating, whereas solely 23% noticed a decline.
That is the bottom proportion of declining establishments amongst all world areas, outperforming Europe, the place the keep/enhance versus decline price stands at 52% to 44%, and Australia and New Zealand (AUNZ), the place the speed is 36% to 61%.
Nations which might be a part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, all share a typical method in making vital investments in analysis and schooling, aligned with daring nationwide visions.
Collectively, GCC nations outperform the MENA area common throughout all 9 QS World College Rankings indicators. Their establishments notably excel underneath the worldwide engagement lens, which appears at internationalisation indicators equivalent to worldwide school ratio (IFR), worldwide pupil ratio (ISR), and worldwide analysis community (IRN). This displays their robust world attraction in attracting worldwide expertise and fostering cross-border educational collaboration.
Saudi Arabia leads MENA area
Among the many prime 25 nations by variety of ranked establishments, Saudi Arabia leads the MENA area – with 22 universities featured within the QS WUR 2026, six greater than in 2024. The general common rating of Saudi establishments elevated by 38%, from 20.7 to twenty-eight.5, over the previous two editions.
These developments are arguably a results of Saudi’s 2030 Imaginative and prescient, because the nation promised to have at the very least 5 of its universities among the many prime 200 universities in worldwide rankings, thus budgeting for substantial funding for analysis, university-industry collaboration, and world partnerships.
The rankings come as Dubai expands its worldwide department campus ecosystem, aiming to host 50% worldwide college students by 2030 as part of its Training 33 technique, positioning itself as a world schooling hub.
Qatar additionally finds itself in an analogous place, as Qatar College moved 10 locations as much as attain 112 globally. The nation’s funding in analysis infrastructure and college recruitment has improved its efficiency in citations per school – a key QS metric.
The Qatar Nationwide Imaginative and prescient 2030 goals to determine a world-class schooling system aligned with labour market wants, providing high-quality, accessible studying for all levels of life. It emphasises the event of impartial and accountable establishments, sturdy public-private analysis funding, and energetic world engagement in cultural and scientific domains.
In the meantime, exterior the GCC, 4 different nations have proven notably spectacular performances: Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon. These nations rank among the many prime six within the MENA area by way of ranked establishments, sharing the highlight with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In accordance with QS’s Finest Scholar Cities rankings, Jordan’s capital, Amman, is now the most effective metropolis within the Center East. Moreover, Jordan noticed a number of universities ranked within the WUR this yr, with the College of Jordan, Jordan College of Science and Expertise, and the German Jordanian College enhancing in earlier years.
Whereas none have but reached the worldwide prime 400, the nation is investing in STEM-focused school and increasing regional collaborations, particularly with the Gulf.
In the meantime, Egypt now has 13 establishments featured in QS rankings, with Cairo College, Ain Shams College, and The American College in Cairo (AUC) main the way in which.
And in Lebanon, the American College of Beirut stays the highest Lebanese establishment and one of many prime establishments within the MENA area.
Regardless of geopolitical tensions in Lebanon, a shock enchancment occurred because the Lebanese College (LU) climbed from 577 globally in 2024 to 515 within the WUR 2026. And after the Lebanese American College positioned spherical 701-710 globally in 2025, in 2026 it projected to 535 on the checklist.
What’s subsequent?
Stakeholders mentioned the potential the explanation why universities from the MENA area have proven such a marked bounce within the rating yea on yr.
“From my perspective, key drivers embrace stronger institutional methods round internationalisation, improved analysis output, and rising collaborations with world companions,” Gulf Medical College educational high quality assurance & institutional effectiveness specialist, Salaheldin Mostafa Khalifa, advised The PIE Information.
“We will anticipate continued upward momentum for MENA universities in world rankings. Many establishments are investing closely in analysis infrastructure, worldwide collaborations, and college growth,” he added.
In the meantime, QS broke down the “sustained progress” that universities within the areas have seen over the previous yr.
We will anticipate continued upward momentum for MENA universities in world rankings. Many establishments are investing closely in analysis infrastructure, worldwide collaborations, and college growth
Salaheldin Mostafa Khalifa, Gulf Medical College
“There are clear indicators of upward momentum,” mentioned product and analysis advisor at QS, Wesley Siquera, noting that the umber of ranked MENA establishments had jumped from 84 to 115 between the QS WUR 2024 and 2026 editions.
“Lastly, nationwide growth methods present robust indicators of the place future progress might come from,” he added. “A number of of the regional ‘visions’ explicitly set objectives for putting home universities among the many world’s prime establishments. If these targets are met, we might see by 2030: three Omani universities within the prime 500, 5 Saudi universities within the prime 200, and 7 Egyptian universities within the prime 500.”
