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Aftab Maken
ISLAMABAD: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has issued roll number slips for candidates appearing in the Undergraduate Studies Admission Test (USAT) for admissions to its undergraduate programmes. The entrance test is scheduled to be held on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
The university has advised applicants to download their roll number slips and report to their designated examination centres as per the instructions issued by the administration.
The admission process comes amid growing concerns over a decline in the number of students seeking higher education in Pakistan, with one of the country’s leading public-sector universities also facing increasing competition for undergraduate admissions.
According to a recent analysis released by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, based on data from the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025, university enrolment across the country has fallen significantly after reaching a historic peak. The report shows that total university enrolment declined from 2.23 million students in 2020–21 to an estimated 1.96 million in 2024–25, a decrease of approximately 262,000 students, or 11.8 percent, over three years.
The report notes that Pakistan witnessed a decade of rapid expansion in higher education, with enrolment rising from 1.30 million in 2014–15 to 2.23 million in 2020–21, driven by new universities, expanded campuses and improved access to higher education. However, the trend has since reversed, with enrolment falling to 1.94 million in 2022–23 before recovering only slightly to 1.96 million in 2024–25.
Education experts attribute the decline to a combination of factors, including persistent inflation, rising tuition fees, increasing living costs, currency depreciation, reduced household purchasing power and growing outward migration of students seeking education abroad. The expansion of private universities and changing employment preferences have also intensified competition for public-sector institutions.
For Quaid-i-Azam University, traditionally regarded as one of Pakistan’s top research universities, the broader national trend highlights the challenges facing public higher education institutions in attracting and retaining students.
Analysts say the policy focus is gradually shifting from merely expanding university capacity to ensuring that higher education remains affordable, relevant to labour market needs and capable of providing graduates with meaningful employment opportunities.
They argue that universities will need to modernise academic programmes, strengthen industry linkages, expand financial assistance and improve student services to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging environment.
As thousands of candidates prepare to sit the USAT on July 26, the admission cycle at QAU is unfolding against the backdrop of a nationwide contraction in university enrolment, underscoring the broader challenges confronting Pakistan’s higher education sector.
