TEHRAN – The Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) has released the ranking of universities by subject 2023 according to which 43 universities from Iran are among the top 239 universities from Islamic nations.

In 2022, there were 44 Iranian universities on the ISC ranking by subject from 224 universities in Islamic countries.

ISC, as an avant-garde citation system in the Muslim world, published Islamic World University Rankings in 2013. Building on past experience, ISC’s Department of Universities Ranking published the new ISC World University Rankings in 2018.

The ISC ranking by subject includes 3 key criteria, namely research (70 percent) international activity (15 percent), and innovation (15 percent).

The included universities have been ranked in six subjects namely natural sciences ( mathematics, computer and information sciences, physical sciences, chemical sciences, earth and related environmental sciences, and biological sciences); Engineering and Technology (electrical engineering, electronic engineering , information engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering , medical engineering, environmental engineering, environmental biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, nano-technology, and other engineering and technologies); Medical and Health Sciences (basic medicine, clinical medicine, health sciences, medical biotechnology, and other medical science);  Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (agriculture, forestry, fisheries animal and dairy science, veterinary science, agricultural biotechnology,  and other agricultural science); Social Sciences (psychology and cognitive sciences, education  , sociology, law, political science, economics and business, social and economic geography, media and communication,  and other social sciences); and Humanities and the Art (history and archaeology, languages and literature, philosophy, ethics and religion, art, and other humanities).

In Natural Sciences, Tehran University (with a global rank of 301 – 350); Amirkabir University of Technology, Tarbiat Modarres University, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences (both with a global rank of 501 -600) are ranked first and second in the country.

The University of Tehran is globally ranked 130 in Chemical Sciences, and 128 in earth and related environmental sciences.

There are 45 universities from Islamic countries in Natural Science. Iran with 12 and Egypt with 7 have the highest number of universities. The best ranking pertains to Saudi Arabia 150.

In Engineering and Technology, the University of Tehran (150), Sharif University of Technology (251-300), Amirkabir University of Technology, and Iran University of Science and Technology (301-350) are ranked first to third nationwide, respectively.

The University of Tehran is ranked 68 in Civil Engineering, 49 in Mechanical Engineering, and 99 in Chemical Engineering globally. It ranked 73 in Environmental engineering.

A total of 59 universities from Islamic countries are present in Engineering and Technology. Iran (15), Egypt (10), and Malaysia (9) had the highest number of universities in this subject area.

In Medical and Health Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences ranked first (251-300), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences ranked second (351-400), and Iran Medical Sciences ranked third (401-450).

In Medical and Health Sciences 56 universities from Islamic countries are ranked. Turkey (16), Iran (13), and Egypt (8) ranked first to third in terms of the number of universities present in the ranking.

In Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, the University of Tehran ranked 144 worldwide, it ranked first in the country. It is the only university from Iran present in Veterinary Science with a rank of 140.

Tarbiat Modarres University (301-350), Isfahan University of Technology, and Urmia University (both with a global rank of 401-450) are placed second to third in the country.

A total of 85 universities from Islamic nations are ranked.  Iran (16), Turkey (15), and Egypt (13) had the highest number of universities included. The best ranking goes to Saudi Arabia 28.

The University of Tehran is the only university from Iran present in Social Sciences (with a rank of 351-400), and Humanities and Art (ranked 501-600).

In Social Sciences, 20 universities from Islamic countries are ranked, with 7 universities from Malaysia. Saudi Arabia ranked 318.

Islamic countries are presented with 11 universities in Humanities and Art. Five universities are from Malaysia, three are from Turkey. Iran, Lebanon, and Nigeria are presented with one university each. Malaysia with a global rank of 245 is the best in this subject area.

Recent rankings

The Times Higher Education placed Iran second among Islamic countries in terms of the number of universities included in Young University Rankings 2024.

The country now boasts 46 universities included in the Young University Rankings, up from 39 last year and 20 in 2020.

Turkey (58) and Pakistan (33) ranked first and third, respectively.

The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings include institutions that were founded between 1974 and the present.

The 2024 Young Universities rankings included 673 universities that are younger than 50 years of age.

The United Arab Emirates (27), Malaysia (32), Turkey (52), and Iran (85) were ranked first to fourth among Islamic countries.

Shiraz University of Technology ranked first in the country and 85th in the world's top 100 list.

Iran University of Medical Sciences (119), Isfahan University of Technology (136), Imam Khomeini International University (177), Kashan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (186), and Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (197) were ranked second to sixth, respectively.

A total of 13 universities were ranked 200 –250; five were ranked 251–300; seven were ranked 301–350; four were ranked 351–400; 14 were ranked 401–450; two were ranked 501–600; and two others were ranked +600.

MT/MG