Bahauddin Zakariya University
جامعۂ بہاءالدین زکریا
A 960-acre public university in Multan that calls itself South Punjab's largest, with ten faculties from veterinary science to law.
- Students
- 26,659
- Student–faculty
- 19.5:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- PKR 86,215
- From · 2026
- Founded
- 1975
About BZU
Bahauddin Zakariya University was set up as the University of Multan in 1975 by an Act of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and was renamed in 1979 after the thirteenth-century Sufi scholar Bahauddin Zakariya, who founded a school of higher learning in the city. The main campus, about 10 km from central Multan, covers 960 acres. By the university's own count it now has more than 51 departments, institutes and colleges, around 26,659 students (about half of them women) and 630 faculty members, 389 of whom hold doctorates.
The prospectus groups teaching into ten faculties: Arts and Social Sciences; Commerce, Banking and Business Administration; Engineering and Technology; Islamic Studies and Languages; Pharmacy; Science; Agricultural Sciences and Technology; Veterinary Sciences; Food Science and Nutrition; and Law. It also runs sub-campuses at Vehari and Lodhran. That range is unusual for one campus, and it explains why an agricultural, pharmacy or veterinary applicant can find a course here alongside computing and the humanities.
Times Higher Education placed BZU in the 601-800 band in 2026, and BZU's own pages call it joint first in Punjab in that edition. The university's international admission route is built around research supervisors, so it suits graduate applicants who can contact a professor first; undergraduate applicants from abroad should confirm their route with the admissions office.
Knowledge Is Power
University motto
Why students choose BZU
Ten faculties on one campus cover veterinary science (DVM), pharmacy (Pharm.D), engineering, law (LLB), agriculture, food science and the humanities.
Published 2026 fees for four-year BS programmes are listed per semester in rupees, from Rs 49,225 in the first semester for Textile Design to Rs 83,560 for the five-year DVM.
Its Scholarship Cell reported awarding 6,894 scholarships and fee concessions in 2024, including HEC need-based and Punjab endowment schemes.
The 2026 prospectus exempts foreign students from the rule that hostel places are allotted to a student once a year on merit, and a Foreign Student Club helps them settle in.
Admissions
Fall 2026 intake (Fall 2027 not yet announced)
Selectivity
BZU does not publish an overall acceptance rate. Undergraduate seats are filled by merit list within each programme (published in calls, for example Merit List Schedule for Fall 2026, Call-III), using criteria set by the university; engineering applicants sit an entry test.
Typical entry requirements
| Pakistani Intermediate (HSSC/F.A./F.Sc./I.Com/ICS) | Or an equivalent recognised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC); at least 40% marks for BS Economics, with other programmes setting their own minimum in the prospectus |
|---|---|
| Foreign qualifications | The international admissions page says applications are checked for degree equivalence and IBCC certificates where applicable, plus an interview with the departmental admission committee |
| English language | No English test score is stated on the pages checked. International applicants must supply two English-language reference letters and a research proposal (graduate routes). |
Deadlines
- Fall intake (previous cycle, 2026) Non-bindingAdmissions opened 24 June 2026; merit lists published from July 2026
Call-II undergraduate admissions opened in early August 2026 and Call-III merit lists were scheduled in September 2026.
- International applicants, Fall intake Non-bindingStart the application in January
BZU advises international applicants to begin in January for the Fall session and June for the Spring session because verification takes time.
BZU has not published Fall 2027 dates. The dates above describe the Fall 2026 cycle and the university's timing advice for international applicants; check bzu.edu.pk/latest-news.php?cID=2 for announcements.
How to apply
Domestic applicants apply online through the BZU admissions portal. International applicants download the prescribed application form and send it by email to the professor whose field matches their interests; the professor screens the application, and if accepted the applicant submits a formal application with full documents. Verification and clearance by government offices may take time, and a provisional admission letter follows the departmental committee's recommendation. Obtaining the study visa is the applicant's own responsibility.
What admissions looks for
- Completion of the qualifying examination with the minimum marks for the chosen programme, as listed in the prospectus.
- For international graduate applicants, fit with a professor's research area, publication record and laboratory facilities.
- A research proposal with a clear research question, plus two reference letters in English.
- A good result in the departmental interview and, where required, an entry or subject test.
Tips for applying to BZU
- 1 International applicants should email a professor first: BZU's international page says the application is handled at supervisor level and there is no direct communication from the admission office.
- 2 Start in January for the Fall session, because document verification and government clearances can take a long time.
- 3 Check the prospectus page for your department, since minimum marks and test requirements differ between programmes.
- 4 Arrange your study visa early; the university only supports it with admission documents.
Costs & financial aid
2026 · figures in PKR
BZU's Scholarship Cell lists HEC Need-Based, PEEF, CM Honhaar, BISP, HBL Platinum and USAID-funded merit and need-based scholarships, among others, and reported 6,894 awards and concessions in 2024. No separate fee schedule or scholarship for international undergraduates was found on the BZU pages checked. The Higher Education Commission lists scholarships for foreigners such as the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship for Central Asia and Friendly Countries, but BZU's participation is not stated. For foreign applicants, the 2026 prospectus's enrollment chart reserves seats for foreign candidates (two for Afghanistan, plus OIC-state and Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme seats) and a quota for children of overseas Pakistanis; it states that the Afghan-quota students are charged tuition fee and accommodation charges at par with local students. No separate fee schedule in dollars was published for other foreign nationals or overseas Pakistanis.
- 6,894
- Scholarships and concessions awarded, 2024 (total)
- 500 scholars, Rs 62,603,000 disbursed
- HEC Needs-Based Scholarship, FY 2024-25
- 875 scholars, Rs 53,662,325 disbursed
- CM's Honhaar Scholarship Program, FY 2024-25
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (Fall from mid-August, Spring from early January, plus a summer semester)
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM, 5 years)
The most expensive programme on the 2026 morning fee schedule, at Rs 83,560 in the first semester, taught in the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences.
Pharm.D
A professional degree in the Faculty of Pharmacy, with a first-semester fee of Rs 64,500 in the 2026 morning schedule.
B.Sc. Textile Engineering
Taught by the University College of Textile Engineering, founded in 2004 to serve the region's textile industry.
BS Computer Science
Part of the Institute of Computing and the Faculty of Science, with a first-semester fee of Rs 63,880.
LLB (5 years)
Offered by the Gillani Law College, with a first-semester fee of Rs 70,400 in the 2026 morning schedule.
BS Agriculture and allied programmes
The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences reflects the university's regional focus, with a College of Agriculture established in 1989 according to Wikipedia.
Research
- BZU's rankings page cites Times Higher Education subject results for 2024: Life Sciences 501-600, and Engineering, Social Sciences and Physical Sciences each 601-800.
- BZU reports 166th in the Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2025 and 4th in Pakistan.
- The Institute of Physics has ten divisions, including materials, astrophysics, nanophysics and renewable energy.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Commerce, Banking and Business Administration
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology
- Faculty of Islamic Studies and Languages
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition
- Faculty of Law
The university runs a Career Development Centre and a placement bureau; no graduate-outcome figures were found on the pages checked.
Student life
BZU is a large residential campus on the edge of Multan, with seven hostels for boys and eight for girls. Hostel seats are limited and allotted on merit through the university's online hostel management system; according to the 2026 prospectus, foreign students are exempt from the rule that a student is admitted to the hostel once a year on merit. Internet is provided in hostels and meals are run by a student mess. The prospectus lists a Foreign Student Club, which helps foreign students meet local students and understand local customs, together with a science society, an environmental protection club, a sports club and a ladies club.
- A Foreign Student Club helps international students connect with local students and customs.
- Seven boys' hostels and eight girls' hostels are run on campus.
- Sports facilities include cricket, hockey and football grounds and volleyball, basketball and badminton courts.
- The university runs a fleet of 45 buses and 3 coaches for students and staff.
Housing. Seven boys' and eight girls' hostels; seats are limited and allotted on merit, and foreign students are exempt from the one-allotment-a-year rule, according to the 2026 prospectus.
Location
Multan is a city in southern Punjab on the eastern bank of the Chenab River, often called the City of Saints for its Sufi shrines, and is the sixth-largest city in Pakistan. The BZU campus is about 10 km from the city centre. Multan International Airport lies about 4 km west of the city and serves domestic routes and some direct international flights.
Nearest airport: Multan International Airport (MUX)
Notable alumni
- AA Ali Akbar NatiqPoet, novelist and short-story writer; BA and MA from BZU (taken privately)
- RK Rauf KlasraJournalist and columnist; studied English Literature at BZU
- GF Gharida FarooqiTelevision host and anchor; master's in International Relations from BZU
- RF Rubina Feroze BhattiDevelopment and human rights consultant; MSc Chemistry from BZU (1993)
- SA Saima Akram ChaudhryScreenwriter for Pakistani television serials; MA in Mass Communication from BZU
- ZK Zafarullah KhanLawyer and former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (2016-2018); BA from BZU (1981)
Frequently asked questions
How can international students apply to BZU?
BZU asks international applicants to send the prescribed form to the professor whose field matches their interests; the professor screens it and, if interested, invites a formal application with full documents. The page advises starting in January for the Fall session.
What is BZU's ranking?
QS World University Rankings 2027 places it in the 1001-1200 band. Times Higher Education 2026 places it in the 601-800 band.
How much are fees at BZU?
For the 2026 session, four-year BS morning programmes cost between Rs 86,215 and Rs 152,800 for the first year (two semesters), and the five-year DVM costs Rs 161,120. A separate international fee schedule was not found. The prospectus says students admitted on the two reserved Afghan-quota seats pay tuition and accommodation at par with local students; no other foreign-student fee schedule is published.
Does BZU have hostels for international students?
Yes: BZU has seven hostels for boys and eight for girls, allotted on merit, and foreign students are exempt from the once-a-year hostel admission rule in the 2026 prospectus.
When does the BZU academic year start?
The Fall 2026 semester began on 17 August 2026 and the Spring 2027 semester begins on 4 January 2027. Dates for the Fall 2027 intake have not been announced.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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