Top 2% scientists 2026: 1,034 Pakistanis on Stanford-Elsevier list, GCU Faisalabad leads with 56

The world's top 2% scientists list for 2026, compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier, includes 1,034 scientists affiliated with Pakistani institutions, ProPakistani reported on Thursday. That puts Pakistan 33rd in the world by the number of researchers on the single-year list, up 9.3% from 946 in 2025 and more than four times the 243 names of 2020.

A further 321 Pakistani scientists appear on the separate career-long list, which ranks researchers by the impact of their work over their whole careers rather than a single year.

What the list measures

The ranking is built from Scopus citation data and a composite citation score that weighs total citations, h-index, co-authorship and the author's position on papers. It is published as two tables: one for the latest single year and one for whole careers. Being on it means a researcher's citations put them in the top 2% of their field worldwide. It is a measure of how often work is cited, not a prize or a judgment of quality.

Universities with the most names

• Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF): 56 scientists on the 2026 single-year list, the most of any Pakistani institution.
• University of Agriculture, Faisalabad: 50.
• NUST, Islamabad: 45 researchers, Dawn reported, 16 of whom have appeared on the list consistently for several years. NUST Rector Dr Muhammad Zahid Latif called it a source of pride for the university and the country in a press release.

Faisalabad's two universities between them account for more than a tenth of Pakistan's names. Our directory lists universities in Faisalabad and universities in Islamabad with their contact details.

Pakistan's top 20 on the 2026 list

In the order ProPakistani gave from the 2026 list:

1. Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, The Aga Khan University
2. Muhammad Ashraf, University of Lahore
3. Salim Shahbuddin Virani, The Aga Khan University
4. Ayesha Kausar, National Center for Physics
5. Muhammad Sajid, University of Management and Technology, Lahore
6. Muhammad Akram, University of the Punjab
7. Jawad Abbas, University of Central Punjab
8. Tasawar Hayat, Quaid-i-Azam University
9. Muhammad Qamar Bilal, Bacha Khan University
10. Haroon Khan, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
11. Faisal Zulfiqar, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur
12. Rahmat Ellahi, International Islamic University, Islamabad
13. Shah Fahad, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
14. Muhammad Shahid Rizwan, GCU Faisalabad
15. Shafaqat Ali, GCU Faisalabad
16. Muhammad Ramzan Saeed Ashraf Janjua, GCU Faisalabad
17. Muhammad Bilal Tahir, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and IT
18. Muhammad Azam, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
19. Abdur Rauf, University of Sahiwal
20. Usman Mehmood, University of Management and Technology, Lahore

The list spreads well beyond the big three cities: Mardan, Charsadda, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Sahiwal all have names in the top 20, and Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan has three.

Why students should care

For anyone choosing a university or a supervisor for an MPhil or PhD, the list is a quick way to find departments where research is active and widely cited. Check a supervisor's Google Scholar or Scopus profile as well, and ask about funding and lab access before you apply. Students working out their eligibility can use our CGPA calculator.