UIR Ranks Second in Morocco in Times Higher Education 2026 Rankings

Marrakech – The prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE WUR), released on October 9, has placed the International University of Rabat (UIR) as the second-best university in Morocco.

UIR achieved a remarkable entry into the global Top 1000, positioning in the 801-1000 bracket among 2,191 institutions from 115 countries and territories worldwide.

THE WUR evaluates universities on five essential pillars: teaching quality and learning environment, research environment through volume, funding and reputation, scientific production impact and excellence, international openness in student and staff mobility, and industrial engagement including patents and economic impact.

This achievement strengthens UIR’s upward trajectory, having already been ranked among the firsts in Morocco in the THE Impact Rankings, which measures university involvement in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Impact Rankings are an integral part of the global THE WUR ranking.

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) tops the national rankings, positioning itself among the world’s top 400 universities. The Benguerir-based institution now stands as Morocco’s leading university, North Africa’s premier academic center, and Africa’s fourth-ranked university, placed between 351st and 400th globally.

Founded in 2010, UIR celebrates its fifteenth anniversary this year with unprecedented national and international recognition. The university has distinguished itself by ranking first in Africa for patent filings and winning gold medals at the Geneva International Innovation Exhibition for breakthrough research.

UIR’s three engineering schools have obtained the prestigious CTI accreditation and the European EUR-ACE label, while Rabat Business School has earned both EQUIS and AACSB accreditations, enabling it to rank in the top 20 Business Schools globally this year.

Established as Morocco’s first public-private partnership university, UIR combines public backing with private management agility. The public investor Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) injected MAD 57 million ($5.7 million), while the state granted 20 hectares of land at Technopolis to launch the campus.

The university campus spans approximately 27 hectares inside Rabat-Salé Technopolis, featuring residences, a sports complex, library, and pool. UIR currently serves about 8,300 students with over 9,000 alumni, including more than 3,700 scholarship recipients from disadvantaged backgrounds.

UIR’s academic structure includes colleges and schools covering engineering, architecture, business, political and social sciences, law, health, and design. Many programs are established as double or joint degrees with European partners, allowing students to split their studies and graduate with two diplomas.

One of the country’s leading institutions, UIR continues to play a role in advancing innovation, competitiveness, and global engagement within Morocco’s higher education landscape.