Agadir – Two Moroccan universities have secured places among the top 100 institutions in the Arab region in the 2027 QS Arab University Rankings, marking a stronger presence for Morocco in the regional higher education assessment.
Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra climbed to joint 91st place, while Mohammed V University in Rabat ranked joint 96th, according to the rankings published by QS Quacquarelli Symonds on October 15.
The results mark a change from the 2026 edition, when neither university appeared in the top 100. Ibn Tofail University gained 47 places, while Mohammed V University advanced from joint 118th position.
Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech also improved its standing, moving from the 151–160 ranking band to 126th place. Morocco now has 12 universities in the regional rankings, including three institutions that entered the list for the first time.
QS evaluates universities using 10 indicators that cover academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratios, research output, international collaboration, international faculty and international students.
Academic reputation accounts for 30% of the overall score, while employer reputation contributes 20%. The faculty-to-student ratio represents 15%, and international research networks account for 10%.
The remaining indicators assess citations per paper, papers per faculty member, the proportion of staff holding a PhD, web impact, and the international composition of university staff and students.
Gulf universities lead the rankings
Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals retained first place, achieving an overall score of 100. Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates climbed from third to second with a score of 97.2, while Qatar University moved down one position to third, scoring 96.1.
King Saud University in Saudi Arabia ranked fourth, followed by the United Arab Emirates University in fifth. The American University of Beirut in Lebanon took sixth place, while Oman’s Sultan Qaboos University rose from eighth to seventh.
King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia ranked eighth, Abu Dhabi University climbed to ninth, and the University of Jordan retained tenth place.
The results cover 325 universities across 20 locations in the Arab region, according to QS.
Read also: Euromed University of Fez Ranks First in Morocco in 2026 UI GreenMetric Ranking
