NUST Complete Guide 2026: All 22 Schools, 6 Campuses, 40+ Degrees

What Is NUST and Why Does It Matter?

The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) is Pakistan's top-ranked public research university, ranked #353 globally by QS and #2 in Pakistan. Established in 1991, NUST has grown into a multi-campus university with 22 constituent schools and institutes. It is the most searched Pakistani university on Google and the first choice for engineering and technology students in the country.

NUST Campuses at a Glance

NUST operates across 6 campuses in Pakistan. The main H-12 campus in Islamabad (800 acres) houses 13 schools. The Rawalpindi campuses include CEME (College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) and MCS (Military College of Signals). Risalpur has CAE (College of Aeronautical Engineering) and MCE (Military College of Engineering). PNEC (Pakistan Navy Engineering College) is in Karachi, and NBC (NUST Balochistan Campus) is in Quetta.

NUST Schools and Institutes (H-12 Islamabad)

The H-12 main campus hosts: SEECS (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), SMME (Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering), SCEE (Civil and Environmental Engineering), SCME (Chemical and Materials Engineering), SADA (Art, Design and Architecture), NBS (NUST Business School), S3H (Social Sciences and Humanities), SNS (Natural Sciences), ASAB (Applied Biosciences), NLS (NUST Law School), NSHS (School of Health Sciences), SINES (Interdisciplinary Engineering and Sciences), and USPCAS-E (Energy Studies). It also includes NIT, IESE, NICE, IGIS, CIPS, NIPCONS, and JSPPL as specialized institutes.

Undergraduate Programs by Category

Engineering: Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Chemical, Metallurgy, Mechatronics, Computer, Software, Aerospace, Avionics, Environmental, Geoinformatics, Energy, Naval Architecture, and Information Security. Computing: CS, Data Science, AI, Bioinformatics. Business: BBA, Accounting & Finance, Tourism & Hospitality. Social Sciences: Economics, Mass Communication, Psychology, Liberal Arts, Public Administration. Architecture: B.Arch and Industrial Design. Law: LLB. Health Sciences: MBBS and Human Nutrition. Natural Sciences: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry. Applied Biosciences: Biotechnology, Food Science, Agriculture.

NUST Fee Structure 2026

For the 2025-26 academic year, tuition fee for Engineering, Computing, Natural Sciences, and Applied Biosciences programs is PKR 197,050 per semester. For Architecture, Social Sciences, and Business Studies programs it is PKR 275,400 per semester. Admission processing fee is PKR 35,000 (non-refundable) and security deposit is PKR 10,000 (refundable). NUST is a semi-public university — more expensive than public UETs but more affordable than private universities like LUMS and GIKI.

Hostel and Accommodation

NUST H-12 campus has 18 hostels — 8 for male students (Ghazali, Beruni, Razi, Rahmat, Attar, Liaquat, Hajveri, Zakariya) and 10 for female students (Fatima Blocks I-V, Zainab, Ayesha, Khadija, Amna). Hostel fee ranges from PKR 8,500/month (triple occupancy, community bath) to PKR 22,000/month (single, attached bath). Mess fee is PKR 18,000/month (PKR 580/day). Hostel is allotted based on application seniority, primarily for outstation students.

Admission Through NUST NET

Admission to NUST undergraduate programs is through the NUST Entry Test (NET), held 4 times a year (January, March, May, July). You can appear in multiple NETs — your best score counts. Merit formula: 75% NET + 15% FSc marks + 10% Matric marks. NET is 200 MCQs with subject weightage varying by program. Engineering-focused NET includes Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and English. CS-focused NET includes Mathematics, Physics, English, and Intelligence.