Top 10 Islamic Universities in the World

Islamic universities play an important role in providing higher education that combines academic knowledge, professional development, and Islamic values. According to the 2026 uniRank University Ranking, these ten institutions are the highest-ranked Islamic universities in the world.

The ranking covers 438 Islamic universities and colleges that meet uniRank’s criteria for official recognition, degree-level education, and predominantly traditional, non-distance learning. It is a non-academic ranking based on web metrics rather than university-submitted academic performance data.

At the top of the list is Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) in Indonesia. Located in Medan, UMSU is a large private university founded in 1974.

It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in fields ranging from Islamic studies and education to engineering, medicine, economics, law, and information technology. Its first-place position demonstrates the strong visibility of Indonesian Islamic higher education.

In second place is International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), one of Malaysia's prominent Islamic higher-education institutions. It is recognized for integrating Islamic perspectives with modern academic disciplines and for its international student community.

Cairo University of Egypt ranks third and is one of the region's major universities, with a long history of contributing to education, research, and intellectual development.

Fourth is Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), Jordan, which is particularly recognized for programs in science, medicine, engineering, and technology. Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Indonesia, ranks fifth and continues the strong representation of Muhammadiyah institutions in the ranking.

Sixth place goes to Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), one of Indonesia's established private Islamic universities. It is followed by Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) in seventh and Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta (UMJ) in eighth.

Both institutions contribute to Indonesia's higher-education sector through diverse academic programs, research, community engagement, and Islamic education.

The ninth-ranked institution is Cadi Ayyad University in Morocco, a major public university based in Marrakech with programs across numerous academic fields. Completing the top ten is Suleyman Demirel University in Türkiye, which adds another important institution from the Muslim-majority world to the list.

Overall, the 2026 uniRank ranking highlights the geographical diversity of Islamic higher education while showing Indonesia's particularly strong presence, with five universities occupying positions among the top ten.