Universities in Pakistan

Higher Education in Pakistan

Pakistan has one of South Asia's largest higher education sectors, with over 200 degree-awarding institutions — including the University of the Punjab (founded 1882), Quaid-i-Azam University, and NUST — regulated by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The HEC, established in 2002, significantly increased research output and PhD enrolments through structured reform programmes and overseas scholarship schemes. Instruction is in Urdu and English; participation rates have grown substantially over the past two decades, though quality and access disparities between provinces remain significant.