Balkh University is a public university in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan.[1] Its own website says it was established in 1981 and has more than 400 professors and more than 18,000 students.[2] Other sources give different founding years (1986 or 1987 on Wikipedia, 1988 on uniRank) and a much lower enrollment band (5,000 to 5,999 on uniRank).[1][3]
uniRank’s 2026 ranking of Afghan universities puts it 11th in the country.[4] We could not confirm a QS World University Rankings 2027 placement, and the pages we read publish no tuition fee, admission rules or language of instruction.[5][2][3]
Key facts
| Official name | Balkh University (the name is also given in Pashto and Dari)[1] |
| Location | Chuk Sancharki, Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh Province, Afghanistan[2] |
| Type | Public university, recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan[3] |
| Founded | 1981 (university website); 1986 (Wikipedia lead) or 1987 (Wikipedia infobox); 1988 (uniRank)[2] |
| Students | More than 18,000 (university website); about 18,000 (Wikipedia); 5,000 to 5,999 (uniRank band)[2] |
| Teaching staff | More than 400 professors (website); 200 to 299 academic staff (uniRank band)[2] |
| Faculties | 15 listed on the website (the chancellor’s message says 16)[2] |
| Graduate programmes | Finance and Accounting; Dari Language and Literature (others planned)[2] |
| uniRank 2026 | National rank 11; world rank 11,698[3] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Not confirmed[5] |
| Tuition | Not published on the pages read (uniRank: “not reported”)[3] |
| Language of instruction | Not stated on the pages read[2] |
| Official website | ba.edu.af |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 9 November 2026.
About Balkh University
Balkh University’s website says it was established in 1981 and has more than 400 professors and more than 18,000 students.[2] Sources disagree about the founding year: Wikipedia’s lead says 1986 while its infobox says 1987, and uniRank gives 1988.[1][3] We could not find a source that explains the difference, for example a later formal opening, so we show all the years.
Enrollment figures conflict as well. Wikipedia gives about 18,000 students, in line with the university, while uniRank puts enrollment at 5,000 to 5,999 and academic staff at 200 to 299.[1][3] The university is in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province.[1]
How is Balkh University ranked?
QS 2027: we could not confirm a placement in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (published 18 June 2026). The 1,001–1,200 band page of the aggregator xuanxiao.org lists no Afghan institution and its country filter does not list Afghanistan. QS itself blocks automated access, so we could not check the full table.[5]
Times Higher Education: THE’s Afghanistan country page says no Afghan university is in its overall World University Rankings.[6]
uniRank: 11th among Afghan universities in the 2026 edition, with a world rank of 11,698.[4][3] uniRank is a web-based directory ranking, not a research ranking. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at Balkh University?
The university’s website lists 15 faculties: Engineering; Law and Political Science; Agriculture; Language and Literature; Journalism; Economics; Medical; Pharmacy; Veterinary; Computer Science; Public Policy and Administration; Education; Geology, Mining and Environment; Science; and Sharia. The chancellor’s message on the same site speaks of 16.[2] Wikipedia names medicine, engineering, economics, journalism, literature, law and science.[1]
Graduate programmes named on the website are Finance and Accounting and Dari Language and Literature; Law and Political Science, Agriculture, Pashto Literature and Islamic History are described as planned.[2] uniRank says the university offers bachelor’s degrees and refers to the university’s programmes page for details.[3]
What is the current situation for students?
UN News reported on 19 January 2023 that a ban on young women attending universities, announced in December 2022, affects more than 100,000 students nationwide.[7] Wikipedia says that after 2021 the university has a chancellor appointed under the new authorities.[1] The university’s website pages we read do not address who can currently enrol, so check directly with the university.
How much does Balkh University cost?
We could not confirm any tuition fee. The pages we read contain no fee information, and uniRank marks tuition as “not reported” for local and international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.[2][3] Ask the university for current fees.
How do you apply to Balkh University?
The pages we read do not describe admission requirements or an application procedure.[2] We give no deadlines because we found none published. Contact the university directly using the details on its website.
Which language do you need?
No source we read states the language of instruction or a language test requirement. The website names Dari Language and Literature as a graduate programme and Pashto Literature as a planned one.[2]
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Balkh University founded?
How many students does Balkh University have?
Is Balkh University in the QS rankings?
How much is tuition at Balkh University?
We found no published figure; uniRank lists tuition as “not reported”.[3]
More about studying in Afghanistan
- Afghanistan: best universities
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Afghanistan
Sources
[1] Wikipedia: Balkh University (secondary source; edit date not visible in the version read)
[2] Balkh University: official website (page without a date)
[3] uniRank: Balkh University (page without a date; third-party directory)
[4] uniRank: Afghan University Ranking 2026 (2026 edition; no publication date given)
[5] xuanxiao.org: QS World University Rankings 2027, page 22 (QS itself blocks automated access) (QS 2027 edition, published 18 Jun 2026; only the 1,001–1,200 band page was read)
[6] Times Higher Education: Study in Afghanistan (page without a date)
[7] UN News: Afghan girls and women made focus of International Education Day: UNESCO (published 19 Jan 2023)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.