42 Iraqi universities feature in QS Arab Region University Rankings 2027

The number of Iraqi universities featured in the QS Arab Region University Rankings 2027 has risen to 42, including institutions in the Kurdistan Region, reflecting the country’s growing representation in the regional higher education landscape.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced that the rankings, released on October 15, 2026, evaluated 298 universities across the Arab region. Iraq’s representation increased from 36 institutions in the previous edition to 42 this year.

The University of Baghdad emerged as Iraq’s highest-ranked institution, followed by Mustansiriyah University, the University of Anbar, Al-Nahrain University and the University of Kufa.

The increase in the number of Iraqi universities included in the rankings highlights the broader participation of the country’s higher education institutions in a regional assessment that measures academic standing, research performance and international engagement.

Launched in 2014, the QS Arab Region University Rankings assess universities using a methodology comprising 10 indicators, each assigned a specific weight according to its contribution to institutional performance.

Academic reputation carries the highest weight at 30%, followed by employer reputation at 20% and faculty-to-student ratio at 15%. The international research network accounts for 10%, while web impact, the proportion of faculty members holding a PhD, citations per paper and papers per faculty member each contribute 5%.

International faculty and international students each account for 2.5% of the overall score.

The rankings also draw on data from the Scopus database to assess research performance, including scientific citations and research output, alongside the other indicators used to determine universities’ final positions.

The latest edition provides a regional benchmark for higher education institutions, offering insights into their academic reputation, research contributions and international reach.