Universities by Research Publications in Afghanistan
Universities and colleges ranked by the number of scholarly works indexed by OpenAlex. This measures research volume, not teaching quality. OpenAlex is an open scholarly index; larger and older institutions tend to have more indexed research.
1Kabul University29,541 citations
3,362
2Kabul University of Medical Sciences Abu Ali Ibn Sina13,465 citations
1,300
3Nangarhar University7,060 citations
1,181
4Herat University3,724 citations
771
5Kandahar University9,781 citations
749
6Kardan University4,651 citations
713
7Ghazni University1,338 citations
589
8Polytechnical University of Kabul6,091 citations
508
9Balkh University1,715 citations
471
10Kabul Education University843 citations
461
11Khost University2,205 citations
341
12Ghalib University1,213 citations
327
13Badakhshan University820 citations
325
14Paktia University829 citations
312
15Khatam Al-Nabieen University1,020 citations
288
16Bamyan University1,141 citations
287
17Jami University409 citations
283
18Kunduz University1,516 citations
270
19Jawzjan University749 citations
268
20Takhar University1,850 citations
257
21Bakhtar University2,019 citations
235
22Laghman University2,198 citations
228
23Faryab University467 citations
227
24Salam University56 citations
224
25American University of Afghanistan3,751 citations
217
26Alberoni University1,706 citations
214
27Afghanistan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University1,802 citations
192
28Baghlan University305 citations
186
29Parwan University975 citations
178
30Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University649 citations
162
31Afghan International Islamic University257 citations
146
32Khurasan University825 citations
121
33Farah University102 citations
107
34Rokhan University174 citations
91
35Spinghar Institute of Higher Education, Kabul60 citations
87
36Dawat University4 citations
49
37Spinghar Institute of Higher Education, Nangarhar83 citations
49
38Bost University379 citations
44
39Mirwais Khan Nika Zabul University180 citations
43
40Wadie Helmand University349 citations
43
41Logar University170 citations
40
42Muslim University524 citations
34
43Cheragh Medical University36 citations
28
44Tabesh University33 citations
24
45Mili University15 citations
20
46Bayazid Rokhan Institute of Higher Education33 citations
15
47Mirwais Neeka University23 citations
12
48Pamir University36 citations
12
49Rozgan University16 citations
11
50Shifa University5 citations
10
Highlights
Within Afghanistan, Kabul University ranks first in 2026 with 3,362, followed by Kabul University of Medical Sciences Abu Ali Ibn Sina (1,300) and Nangarhar University (1,181).
Kabul University is 2.6 times higher than Kabul University of Medical Sciences Abu Ali Ibn Sina, the runner-up.
Across 50 entries, values run from 3,362 (Kabul University) to 10 (Shifa University), with a median of 216.
Source: OpenAlex, institutional Publications, 2026. Unit: works.
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