Lahore University of Management Sciences
Pakistan's selective private university in Lahore, admitting on SAT, ACT or its own LCAT, with full scholarships through the National Outreach Programme.
- Students
- 5,768
- Tuition
- PKR 1.5M
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1985
- QS World Ranking
- #608
- 2027 edition
About LUMS
The Lahore University of Management Sciences was set up in 1985 as a private, not-for-profit university. It began as a business school and now has five schools: the Suleman Dawood School of Business, the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law and the Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education. Its 2024 fact sheet counts 5,768 enrolled students from 162 cities, towns and villages across Pakistan, 44% of them women.
Undergraduates apply to a specific school, and the university says each school selects on its own programme requirements. Every applicant sits one admission test (the SAT, the ACT or the LUMS Common Admission Test), and law applicants also take the national Law Admission Test. The business school was the first in Pakistan to earn AACSB accreditation and is known for case-based teaching, while the science and engineering school follows a common core in science and mathematics with a large humanities component.
LUMS is expensive by Pakistani standards, but it links access to money: its fact sheet reports PKR 11.6 billion paid out in financial aid since the university opened and 1 in 3 students receiving financial support each year. It suits academically strong students who want a residential campus and an English-language, liberal-arts-style degree, including talented students from low-income families who can reach it through the National Outreach Programme.
Learning without Borders
University motto
Why students choose LUMS
The National Outreach Programme gives admitted students with high marks and financial need full support, covering admission, tuition, registration fees, lab charges, accommodation, meals and a stipend.
You can apply with the SAT, the ACT or LUMS's own LCAT, and LUMS sets no minimum SAT or ACT score.
The BSc Accounting and Finance lets students sit ACCA professional papers during the degree, and graduates are exempt from the first two stages of the ICAP exams.
About 54% of the entering undergraduate class of 2029/30 live on campus, which has separate male and female dorms, a swimming pool, sports facilities and medical services.
Admissions
Fall 2027 entry (applications opening soon; Fall 2026 dates shown for reference)
Selectivity
LUMS does not publish an admission rate. For the undergraduate class of 2029/30 it reports more than 1,400 admitted students with an average SAT of 1380, an average of 8 As at O-level, an average FSc/ICS score of 88% and an average Matric score of 93%.
Typical entry requirements
| Matric and FA/FSc/ICS/ICOM (Pakistan) | Minimum Matric 70% plus FA 65% or FSc/ICS/ICOM 70%; admitted students averaged 88% in FSc/ICS and 93% in Matric |
|---|---|
| O-levels and A-levels | Minimum O-level average of B (8 subjects) and three full-credit A-levels averaging BBC; science and engineering applicants need A-levels from its list of science subjects (e.g. Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science) |
| IB Diploma | Minimum 28 of 45 points; science subjects required for the School of Science and Engineering |
| American High School Diploma | Minimum 70% or a GPA of B; foreign qualifications need an IBCC equivalence certificate |
Deadlines
- Online application deadline (Fall 2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed27 January 2026, 5:00 pm PKT
Supporting documents and fee payment were due on 28 January 2026.
- LUMS Common Admission Test (Fall 2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed15 February 2026
Financial aid applications were due on 28 February 2026.
- Last SAT / ACT dates (Fall 2026 cycle, past) Non-binding PassedSAT by 14 March 2026; ACT by 11 April 2026
Admission decisions were released between 15 April and 31 July 2026.
- Fall 2027 undergraduate application Non-bindingNot yet announced (LUMS lists Fall 2027 admissions as opening soon)
Expect a similar timeline to Fall 2026: a late-January deadline, the LCAT in February and SAT/ACT cut-offs in March and April.
LUMS has not yet published undergraduate dates for Fall 2027; the dates shown are from the Fall 2026 cycle and have passed. National Outreach Programme applicants should note that students attending the NOP Summer Coaching Session in 2026 are the ones who can join in 2027.
How to apply
Apply online through the LUMS admissions portal: choose your school and programme, submit the form, upload documents, pay the application fee (PKR 11,500, or USD 200 for international applicants, plus PKR 6,500 if you sit the LCAT), and have at least two teachers submit evaluations. Report SAT or ACT scores or sit the LCAT; some candidates are interviewed. Financial aid is a separate online application.
What admissions looks for
- Academic background, measured against minimum marks and the programme requirements of the school you apply to.
- Performance in the SAT, ACT or LCAT.
- A complete application, including extracurricular activities and achievements, reviewed alongside your test and grades.
- Teacher evaluations from your current or last school (counsellor recommendations are not accepted), and an interview if you are called.
Tips for applying to LUMS
- 1 Choose your school carefully: LUMS offers places school by school, and science and engineering needs specific A-level or IB science subjects.
- 2 If you take the SAT or ACT more than once, you must report every attempt, but only the best single sitting is used.
- 3 If you are in your first year of Intermediate or A-levels, have at least 80% in Matric (or equivalent) and need financial help, apply for the NOP Summer Coaching Session; LUMS pays the admission test fee for NOP students.
- 4 Say that you want financial aid when you apply: the aid application only opens to applicants who ticked that option and paid the application fee on time.
- 5 Retake A-levels in the November sitting if you need better grades; June retakes come too late for that year's intake.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in PKR
Need-based aid, combining a tuition waiver and a loan, covers 20% to 100% of tuition and is reassessed each year. LUMS also offers 100 undergraduate merit scholarships, and National Outreach Programme scholars receive full support including tuition, hostel, meals and a stipend. Shahid Hussain Foundation Scholarships are open to international applicants from SAARC countries.
- 1 in 3
- Students receiving financial support each year
- PKR 11.6 billion (2024 fact sheet)
- Financial aid paid since the university opened
- 20% to 100% of tuition
- Need-based undergraduate aid
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (Fall and Spring)
BSc (Honours) Accounting and Finance
Taught at Pakistan's first AACSB-accredited business school, with ACCA papers possible during the degree and exemption from the first two stages of the ICAP exams.
BS Computer Science
Taught within the science and engineering school, whose students follow a common core in science and mathematics with a large humanities and social sciences component.
BSc (Honours) Economics
Economics was one of the first two undergraduate programmes when LUMS began undergraduate teaching in 1994; it now sits alongside joint majors in Economics and Mathematics and in Economics, Data and Computer Science.
BA-LL.B (Honours)
An interdisciplinary law degree combining law, politics and policy; applicants take the national Law Admission Test on top of the SAT, ACT or LCAT.
BSc (Honours) Politics and Economics
A joint programme of the humanities and social sciences school and the Economics department.
Research
- The Centre for Water Informatics and Technology works on climate change and water shortages.
- The LUMS Energy Institute works on affordable and renewable energy.
- The Mahbub ul Haq Research Centre supports research on human development, social exclusion and inequality in South Asia.
- The LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship supports student and faculty ideas and start-ups.
Schools & faculties
- Suleman Dawood School of Business
- Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
- Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law
- Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education
Student life
LUMS is a residential campus in Lahore's Defence Housing Authority area. About 54% of the entering undergraduate class of 2029/30 live on campus, in separate male and female dorms. The campus has food outlets, a swimming pool, gyms, sports facilities, a superstore, ATMs and emergency medical services. The university's fact sheet lists 37 student societies, and students come from 162 cities, towns and villages across Pakistan, so the student body is broad. Exchange links with more than 45 international universities give students the chance to study abroad for a semester.
- 37 student societies, covering academic, cultural, spiritual and special-interest clubs (2024 fact sheet).
- Exchange programmes with more than 45 international universities.
- National Outreach Programme scholars from across Pakistan study on full scholarships.
- Separate male and female dorms, a swimming pool, gyms and on-campus medical services.
Housing. LUMS offers on-campus hostels for local and foreign students; in 2026-27 a double room costs PKR 98,800 per semester.
Location
LUMS is in Sector U of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Lahore Cantonment. Lahore is Pakistan's second-largest city, on the River Ravi, and is known for the Lahore Fort, the Badshahi Mosque, its food streets and its film, literature and arts festivals. International students need a Pakistani study visa, which requires an HEC No Objection Certificate and Ministry of Interior clearance arranged through LUMS.
Nearest airport: Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore (LHE)
Notable alumni
- HR Hina Rabbani KharForeign Minister of Pakistan 2011-2013; BSc (Honours) in Economics, 1999
- US Umar SaifComputer scientist and former federal minister for IT and for science and technology; studied computer science
- MA Muneeb AliCo-founder of the Stacks blockchain network; studied computer science
- SS Saim SadiqWriter-director of Joyland, which premiered at Cannes; BSc (Honours) in anthropology, 2014
- CA Cyril AlmeidaJournalist and former Dawn columnist, Rhodes Scholar; BA
- BK Bilal KhanSinger-songwriter; BSc (Honours) in Politics and Economics
- AN Afia NathanielFilmmaker; BSc in Computer Science, 1997
Frequently asked questions
What SAT score do you need for LUMS?
There is no minimum SAT or ACT score, but the admitted class of 2029/30 averaged 1380 on the SAT. Instead of the SAT or ACT, you can take the LUMS Common Admission Test (LCAT).
When is the LUMS undergraduate deadline for Fall 2027?
LUMS has not announced it yet and lists Fall 2027 admissions as opening soon. For Fall 2026, the online application closed on 27 January 2026 and the LCAT was held on 15 February 2026.
How much are LUMS fees per year?
In 2026-27, first-year tuition is about PKR 1.47 million for most programmes (PKR 45,800 per credit hour) and about PKR 1.83 million for BS Computer Science including the science and engineering fee. A one-off admission fee and security deposit are added in the first year.
What is the LUMS National Outreach Programme?
The NOP is for students from across Pakistan who scored at least 80% in Matric (or equivalent) and have financial need. Shortlisted students attend a two-week summer coaching session at LUMS, and those admitted on merit receive full financial support, including tuition, hostel, meals and a stipend.
Can international students apply to LUMS?
Yes. International applicants meet the same criteria as local applicants, pay a USD 200 application fee and need an IBCC equivalence for foreign qualifications. After admission they need a study visa, which requires an HEC No Objection Certificate. SAARC nationals can apply for Shahid Hussain Foundation Scholarships.
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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