According to the Round University Ranking (RUR) data for 2026, 41 Iranian universities have entered the list of leading global higher education institutions, an increase compared to the 36 universities featured in the 2025 ranking.
This ranking covers 1313 educational institutions from 99 countries and provides a comprehensive overview of higher education activities worldwide. The RUR methodology is multidimensional and based on 20 indicators grouped into four main areas: Teaching, Research, International Diversity, and Financial Sustainability. These criteria include assessments of teaching staff, research productivity and impact, international student and academic co-author composition, as well as institutional and research income.
Within the national ranking, Islamic Azad University ranked first in the country, achieving a global ranking of 90 (an improvement from 93 in 2025). Among the universities ranked second to tenth, are Tehran University of Medical Sciences (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).
Under the Teaching criterion, the top three positions are held by Islamic Azad University, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, and University of Tehran with global rankings of 22, 48, and 109, respectively. In the Research category, the country's leaders are Iran University of Science and Technology (146), Sharif University of Technology (151), and Islamic Azad University (189).
Regarding International Diversity, Islamic Azad University topped the list with a global ranking of 313, followed by the University of Religions and Confessions (579) and Imam Hossein University (608). In Financial Sustainability, the leaders are Imam Hossein University (161), Iran University of Science and Technology (237), and Bakir al-Oloom University.
The 2026 RUR release confirms the trend of expanding international assessment of universities. The total number of ranked institutions increased from 872 in the 2021 cycle to 1313, representing an absolute increase of 441 universities or 50.6 percent. Compared to the 2025 edition, the ranking expanded by 74 universities, corresponding to a year-on-year growth of 6.0 percent.
For university administrators, ranking offices, international departments, research offices, and strategic planning teams, RUR serves as a basis for understanding how institutional inputs translate into measurable outcomes. The ranking helps universities benchmark against peers, identify areas of relative strength and weakness, assess progress over time, and support evidence-based institutional development. Among the top five universities in RUR 2026 are Harvard University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Recent Rankings
The Shanghai University ranking for 2026 included six Iranian universities in the top 1000 global institutions, which remained unchanged from the previous year. The ranking features over 2500 universities, of which the top 1000 are published. According to IRNA, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and University of Tehran jointly hold the first position in the country with a global ranking of 501-600. Third through sixth place are held by Amkirabir University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Sharif University of Technology, and Tarbiat Modares University, respectively.
In the U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings for 2026-2027, 80 Iranian universities participated among the 2250 best global universities. The ranking is compiled based on 13 indicators measuring academic research activity and global and regional reputation, allowing students to explore higher education options outside their country's borders and compare key aspects of schools' research missions. According to the Mehr news agency, the top ten in the country for this ranking include University of Tehran (global ranking 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), Amkirabir University of Technology (791), and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (801).
The following table shows the ranking of these universities by global subject areas. In Polymer Science, University of Tehran leads (5), and in Green and Sustainable Science and Technology, Islamic Azad University leads (26). In Mechanical Engineering, Islamic Azad University leads (56), and in Civil Engineering, University of Tehran leads (92). Tehran University of Medical Sciences holds high positions in Polymer Science (32) and Pharmacology and Toxicology (49).
The World University Rankings (WUR) report for 2025, prepared by the Institute of Islamic Scientific Citations (ISC), included 76 Iranian universities, exceeding the figure of 72 in 2024. Among the leading universities in Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia ranks 229th, followed by Qatar (301-350), Malaysia (351-400), Iran, and the UAE (jointly 401-500).
By the research criterion, Tehran University of Medical Sciences ranks first in the country with a global ranking of 373, an improvement from 501-600 in 2024. In the education criterion, the leaders are Higher Technology University (129), Iran University of Medical Sciences (214), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (255), Golestan University of Medical Sciences (273), and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (340). In the international activity criterion, the top three are Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (440), University of Tehran (465), and Amkirabir University of Technology (611). In the innovation criterion, Amkirabir University of Technology (774) and Sharif University of Technology (804) lead. 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.
In the 23rd edition of QS World University Rankings (WUR) for 2027, 11 Iranian universities were included among the world's leading institutions, more than the nine universities in 2026. Sharif University of Technology (ranking 390) and Amkirabir University of Technology (483) hold the second and third places.
Furthermore, the 16th edition of QS World University Rankings by Subject for 2026 presented 10 Iranian universities in three broad subject areas.
