Egypt’s universities are quietly climbing the global ranks: Egypt’s higher education sector continued its steady ascent, with more local universities breaking into the world’s leading rankings and several improving their global standing. Egypt now has 51 universities listed in Times Higher Education’s rankings — the country’s largest representation yet — alongside gains in both the QS World University Rankings and the Shanghai Ranking (ARWU). The performance underscores the state’s ongoing push to internationalize higher education, attract foreign students, and strengthen Egypt’s position as a regional academic hub — even as competition across the region heats up.

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There are three global rankings that set the benchmark for higher education performance — THE (Times Higher Education), QS World University Rankings, and ARWU (Shanghai Ranking). Each uses distinct indicators to measure teaching quality, research influence, internationalization, and industry engagement — providing a broad picture of how universities are performing worldwide.

Each ranking has its own metrics — but the trend is unmistakable: “Every global ranking has its own indicators and measurement frameworks,” Higher Education Ministry spokesperson Adel Abdel Ghaffar told EnterpriseAM. “What we’re seeing, however, is a clear upward trajectory, with many Egyptian universities advancing across multiple international rankings.” The ministry “closely tracks global developments in these rankings and discusses them with local universities to help them adopt international standards, which in turn drives their continued progress,” Abdel Ghaffar added.

SIX MORE EGYPTIAN UNIVERSITIES MAKE IT TO THE’S LIST-

THE’s 2026 rankings expanded Egypt’s representation to 51 universities, up from 47 lastyear. New entrants this year — all joining as reporter universities — include Egypt University of Informatics, Egyptian Chinese University, Galala University, Horus University, Mansoura National University, and Menoufia National University. Reporter universities contribute data to the rankings but are not themselves ranked. Meanwhile, two universities — Helwan University and Egyptian Chinese University — dropped out of the ranked categories after featuring in last year’s list.

From three to 36 in a decade: Abdel Ghaffar noted that Egypt’s representation on Times Higher Education’s rankings has grown from just three universities in 2016 to 51 in the 2026 list — the country’s largest presence since joining the index. “Egypt’s improved performance in the 2026 Times Higher Education rankings reflects the ongoing development in both academic and research output,” Abdel Ghaffar told us.

How THE evaluates universities: The Times Higher Education ranking assesses universities using 18 performance indicators grouped into five pillars:

  • Teaching (learning environment);
  • Research environment (volume, income, reputation);
  • Research quality (citations, excellence, influence);
  • International outlook (staff, students, research);
  • Industry (income and patents).

Each metric is carefully weighted to reflect institutional balance across teaching, research, and international collaboration.

Knowledge Bank boosts Egypt’s research visibility: Abdel Ghaffar also credited the Egyptian Knowledge Bank for “providing researchers and scholars with vast scientific resources, which has strengthened the role of research in Egypt and enabled universities to enhance their international standing.” He added that this effort supports Egypt’s Vision 2030 goal of improving education and research to create a generation capable of driving national development.

AUC takes the lead, E-JUST slips slightly: Our friends at the American University in Cairo (AUC) now lead all Egyptian universities in the 2026 THE rankings, positioned in the 601-800 band alongside the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) and Kafrelsheikh University. This marks a shift from 2025, when E-JUST was Egypt’s top-ranked institution in the 501-600 band. Ain Shams University also rose into Egypt’s top five, moving up to 801-1000, while Alexandria University climbed into the same range. The top ten Egyptian institutions in this year’s ranking include AUC, E-JUST, Kafrelsheikh, Ain Shams, Al Azhar, Alexandria, Cairo University, Future University in Egypt, Mansoura University, and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, which ranked among the top ten Egyptian universities for the first time.

Advancing beyond the rankings: “Our approach is holistic. Our research agenda is driven by a desire to contribute meaningfully to global knowledge and to address pressing societal challenges,”  American University in Cairo Provost Ehab Abdel Rahman told EnterpriseAM. The university invests in recruiting world-class faculty and providing them with ongoing professional development to enhance their teaching and research capabilities. “Moreover, we maintain strong ties with employers to ensure our curriculum remains relevant and forward-looking,” Abdel Rahman added.

Several institutions moved up the ladder: Among those posting improvements were Ain Shams University, ranking among 801-1000 top universities, up from 1001-1200 last year, Alexandria University (801-1000, up from 1001-1200), and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (1001-1200, up from 1201-1500). Delta University for Science and Technology made its debut in the ranked list at 1001-1200 after previously holding reporter status, while University of Sadat City advanced to 1001-1200 from 1201-1500. 6 October University also advanced to 1201-1500, reflecting steady progress across several private and regional institutions.

Others slipped in the 2026 rankings: Some universities saw their standings decline amid intensified global competition. E-JUST fell from the 501-600 bracket to 601-800, while Future University in Egypt and Mansoura University both slid to 801-1000 from 601-800. Further down the table, Benha University, Fayoum University, Suez Canal University, and Zewail City of Science and Technology all dropped into the 1201-1500 band. Helwan University and Nile University were ranked in the 1501+ category after previously being placed in the 1201-1500 range.

SIX EGYPTIAN UNIVERSITIES MADE IT TO THE 2025 SHANGHAI RANKING–

The latest ARWU ranking — also known as the Shanghai Ranking — lists six Egyptian institutions, down from eight last year. Cairo University remained Egypt’s top performer, though it slipped to the 401-500 range after ranking in the 301-400 bracket in 2024. Alexandria University followed in the 501-600 range, while Ain Shams University and Mansoura University both maintained their positions in the 601-700 band. Al Azhar University and Zagazig University rounded out the list at 701-800 and 901-1000, respectively. Suez Canal University and Tanta University both dropped out of this year’s rankings after appearing in 2024.

How ARWU measures global standing: The metrics include the number of alumni and staff who have received prestigious academic awards, the volume of publications and citations, and the university’s visibility in top-tier scientific journals. Together, these criteria aim to measure research excellence and long-term academic impact across institutions worldwide. The Shanghai Ranking evaluates universities based on four primary indicators:

  • Quality of education;
  • Quality of faculty;
  • Research output;
  • Per capita performance.

20 EGYPTIAN UNIVERSITIES IN THE QS WORLD 2026 RANKINGS–

Egypt’s presence on the QS tables expanded this year, with 20 universities listed compared to 15 last year. Cairo University continued to lead locally, rising three places to 347 worldwide, while the AUC climbed nearly 30 spots to 381, maintaining its position as Egypt’s top-ranked private university. Ain Shams University also improved significantly, moving up to 543 from 592, and Alexandria University advanced to 784 from 850. Among private institutions, Future University in Egypt rose to the 901-950 band from 951-1000 last year, while Al Azhar University and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport remained steady in the 1001-1200 range.

Five new Egyptian universities entered the QS list this year: Beni Suef University, Delta University for Science and Technology, Aswan University, Benha University, and Nile University all made their debut on the 2026 ranking, underscoring the growing international visibility of Egypt’s higher education sector. Meanwhile, Suez Canal University slipped to the 1401+ range from 1201-1400. The British, German, and Helwan universities in Cairo — along with Tanta and Zagazig universities — maintained their standings within the 1201-1400 range.

REMEMBER- The government is working towards having at least 28 Egyptian universities on the QS World University Rankings by the end of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s third term in 2030.

But rankings should be taken with a pinch of salt: Rankings can provide valuable insights that help institutions identify strengths and areas for improvement. However, ranking agencies must also take responsibility for refining their methodologies and addressing ethical concerns. For example, the Research Integrity Risk Index sheds light on some of the risks and challenges associated with current ranking practices, where universities overlook academic integrity for the sake of publishing more and rankers do not take this matter into consideration when they rank universities, Abdel Rahman noted.

Curriculum reform and global partnerships underpin the progress: “Curriculum development and international partnerships with highly ranked universities in specific disciplines are behind the improvement in higher education,” Mohamed Abdel Latif, Supreme Council of Universities member and Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels at Mansoura National University, told EnterpriseAM. He said aligning programs with labor-market needs and introducing interdisciplinary curricula that combine multiple fields “has helped attract investment to the sector and raise academic quality.”

Financial capacity remains a major challenge: A government source told EnterpriseAM that “aligning with international ranking standards comes at a high cost, as universities must meet strict criteria.” The government is introducing policies to create self-financing mechanisms for universities and encouraging them to prioritize international rankings — since stronger rankings attract more foreign students and, in turn, greater financial resources, the source added.

Turning education into an export sector: The same source said the government aims to make higher education a contributor to Egypt’s FX inflows and a driver of growth. “The plan is to position Egypt as a regional higher-education hub through policy reforms, marketing, and promoting educational tourism using Egypt’s improved global rankings,” the source said.

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