According to the The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, 75 Iranian universities have secured positions among leading global educational institutions. This ranking covers 2297 institutions from 118 countries and territories, with 106 new participants added compared to last year.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is the only global performance table that assesses research universities across all their main areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. The main criteria for the 2027 ranking include Teaching, Research environment, Research quality, International outlook, and Industry connection.
The newest methodology utilizes 17 carefully calibrated performance indicators to ensure the most comprehensive and balanced comparison, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry, and governments.
As reported by ISNA, the number of Iranian universities has decreased from 90 in 2026 to 75 in 2027, marking a decline after a decade of upward trend.
Among the country's leaders are Amkiran University of Technology, Islamic Azad University of Science and Technology, and Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, which hold positions in the global ranking of 401–450. Second place is held by Sharif University of Technology and University of Tehran, with a global ranking of 401–500. Third, fourth, and fifth places are occupied by Tehran University of Medical Sciences (501–550), Shiraz University of Technology (551–600), and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (651–700).
Within THE WUR 2027, Oxford maintained the first position for the 11th consecutive year. Tsinghua University of China moved up to 11th place, surpassing ETH Zurich from Switzerland. For the first time, Asia overtook continental Europe. Three Asian universities were among the world's top 15 this year: Tsinghua University from China, Peking University, and National University of Singapore (NUS).