On October 9, the results of Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 were published, marking a historic achievement for Uzbekistan’s higher education institutions. For the first time, several local universities were included among the world’s most prestigious institutions.
According to the report, the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers entered the top 600 universities in the world (rank 501–600). This result represents a new stage in the country’s educational development, wrote Times Higher Education.
In addition, several other Uzbek universities also made it into the global ranking:
– Tashkent State Technical University – ranked 1001–1200,
– National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek – ranked 1201–1500,
– Tashkent University of Information Technologies – placed in the 1501+ category.
Furthermore, 58 universities from Uzbekistan were listed as “reporters,” meaning they may join the ranking as full participants in coming years.
The 2026 analysis of THE World University Rankings included 2,191 universities from 115 countries and regions. Among them were 17 universities from Central Asia and the Caucasus, with Uzbekistan represented for the first time by four institutions.
The Times Higher Education ranking is recognized as one of the most reputable and reliable global university evaluations. It assesses institutions based on five key criteria: teaching quality, research environment, scientific influence, international outlook, and industry collaboration.
These results demonstrate the ongoing reforms, growing academic openness, and rising international prestige of Uzbekistan’s higher education system. Experts note that this is only the beginning — in the coming years, Uzbek universities are expected to achieve even higher global standings.
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