Al-Mergib University in Libya | Faculties, Majors, and International Rankings 2026
About Al-Mergib University
Al-Mergheb University is Public university Libyan, with its administrative headquarters located in the city of Al-Khums, and its faculties and academic institutions are spread across a number of cities, including Al-Khums, Al-Qarabulli, Msallata, and Qasr Khayar. The university was founded in 1991, and has since developed into a multidisciplinary university encompassing scientific, engineering, medical, and humanities fields.
The university is one of the large Libyan institutions in terms of academic size; QS data shows 19,843 students and 1,787 faculty members, in addition to 249 international students.
Official website: Al-Mergib University – Official Website
History of Al-Mergib University
Al-Mergib University was founded in 1991, and since then its institutions and educational programs have expanded gradually.
The university states that its main administration is located in Al-Khums, while its faculties are spread across:
- Al-Khums.
- Al-Qarabulli.
- Msallata.
- Qasr Khayar.
The university also has a strategic plan for the period 2023–2026, and it awards degrees of Licence, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees according to the fields and majors accredited to it.
Among the most prominent features of the university's development is its transition from a limited-specialization institution to a broad system encompassing medicine, engineering, pharmacy, dentistry, sciences, information technology, economics, law, languages, archaeology, Sharia sciences, and education.
Faculties of Al-Mergib University
According to the university's official website, its faculties can be classified into three main groups:
Scientific and engineering faculties
- Faculty of Science – Al-Khums.
- Faculty of Engineering – Al-Khums.
- Faculty of Economics – Al-Khums.
- Faculty of Engineering – Al-Qarabulli.
- Faculty of Information Technology.
- Faculty of Science and Arts – Msallata.
- Faculty of Science and Arts – Qasr Khayar.
- Faculty of Economics and Commerce – Al-Qarabulli.
Medical Faculties
- The preparatory stage for medical sciences.
- Faculty of Medicine.
- Faculty of Pharmacy.
- Faculty of Health Sciences.
- Faculty of Dentistry.
- Faculty of Medical Technology.
This system gives the university an important presence in the medical and health education sector in the central and western regions of Libya.
Humanities and social sciences faculties
- Faculty of Arts – Al-Khums.
- Faculty of Education – Souq Al-Khamis.
- Faculty of Languages.
- Faculty of Sharia Sciences.
- Faculty of Archaeology.
- Faculty of Physical Education.
- Faculty of Law.
- Faculty of Education – Msallata.
- Faculty of Education – Al-Qarabulli.
Most Prominent Majors at Al-Mergib University
Medicine and health sciences
The university includes a relatively integrated medical system comprising:
Human medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, health sciences, and medical technology.
The presence of these faculties is an important factor in diversifying the university's academic and research activity, especially in the medical and health sciences.
engineering
Engineering is one of the university's core fields, with a Faculty of Engineering in Al-Khums and another in Al-Qarabulli.
The engineering system allows the university to develop programs linked to the industrial, construction, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Information technology
The university comprises Faculty of Information Technology, a strategic field of growing importance for Libyan universities amid the digital transformation and expanding demand for software, information systems, and networking majors.
Science
The basic sciences system includes fields such as:
- Mathematics.
- Physics.
- Chemistry.
- Life sciences.
- Applied scientific specializations.
Economics and Business Administration
The university offers majors in economics, commerce, and management through the Faculties of Economics and Economics and Commerce in Al-Khums and Al-Qarabulli.
Law and Sharia Sciences
The university includes a Faculty of Law and a Faculty of Sharia Sciences, adding to its system majors related to law, Sharia, and Islamic studies.
Languages, Archaeology, and the Humanities
The university also offers programs in:
- Languages.
- Arts.
- History.
- Archaeology.
- Education.
- Social sciences.
- Physical education.
This diversity makes Al-Mergib University a multidisciplinary university rather than a specialized one.
Graduate studies
Al-Mergib University awards multiple academic degrees, and the university officially states that it grants:
- Licence (Bachelor's)
- Bachelor's degrees
- Master's degrees in engineering, applied, and humanities sciences
- Doctorates in the humanities
The official website also features a section dedicated to master's theses, doctoral dissertations, and scientific research.
Postgraduate studies form an important element in building the university's research capacity, especially given its medical, engineering, and science faculties capable of producing internationally publishable research.
Scientific Research at Al-Mergib University
The university shows growing indicators in the field of scientific research.
In its 2024 annual report, Al-Mergib University stated that its researchers recorded 10,775 citations on Google Scholar, placing it fifth locally among Libyan universities according to the indicator the university used in the report.
The university also announced in January 2025 that its profiles in the Webometrics ranking based on top Google Scholar profiles recorded 12,434 citations, and obtained fifth place among Libyan universities in that edition.
Here, a distinction must be made between the number of citations in Google Scholar profiles and the university's overall Webometrics ranking; they are two different indicators.
Al-Mergib University and International Rankings 2026
QS Arab Region Rankings 2026
Al-Mergib University achieved a clear presence in QS Arab Region University Rankings 2026.
the 201–250 band in the Arab region
The university's official QS page shows that it ranked:
| Year | QS Arab Region |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 171–180 at the Arab level |
| 2026 | 201–250 in the Arab region |
Thus, the university entered the 2026 edition in the category of 201–250 in the Arab region.
And according to an announcement by Al-Zaytoonah University the Libyan side regarding the QS 2026 results, Al-Mergib University came fifth among Libyan universities, alongside Al-Asmarya University andLibyan International University the Medical University, andUniversity of Sebha وSabratha University within the same Arab band.
It is important to note that QS ranked 296 Arab institutions in the 2026 edition, an increase of 51 institutions over the previous year.
Webometrics 2026
In the Webometrics – January 2026, Al-Mergib University came in at:
11,367 globally
It thus occupied tenth place among the Libyan institutions listed in the Webometrics table for that edition.
The university's indicators were as follows:
| Index | Score |
|---|---|
| Global rank | 11,367 |
| Impact Rank | 16,647 |
| Openness Rank | 3,838 |
| Excellence Rank | 5,792 |
These figures should be read as indicators of digital presence, openness, and research output, not as a traditional academic ranking comparable to QS.
Arab Ranking for Universities (ARU)
in Arab Ranking for Universities 2025 issued by the Association of Arab Universities, Al-Mergib University came in at:
117th in the Arab region
and its total score reached 170.1/1000.
The score was distributed across four axes:
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Teaching and Learning | 63.9 / 300 |
| Scientific Research | 61.7 / 400 |
| Creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation | 21.6 / 150 |
| Local and international cooperation and community service | 23.0 / 150 |
| Total | 170.1 / 1000 |
This ranking differs methodologically from QS; therefore, the two figures should not be compared directly.
International Rankings Table for Al-Mergib University
| Ranking | Year | Al-Mergib University's result |
|---|---|---|
| QS Arab Region | 2026 | 201–250 in the Arab region |
| QS Arab Region | 2025 | 171–180 at the Arab level |
| Arab Ranking for Universities – ARU | 2025 | 117th in the Arab region |
| Webometrics | January 2026 | 11,367 globally |
| uniRank | 2026 | 11 globally/locally? |
Important correction: The uniRank result is not a direct global ranking for the university; Al-Mergib University's uniRank page records it at 11th place in Libya و11,055 globally.
Al-Mergib University in Numbers
According to published QS data:
| Index | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total students | 19,843 |
| Undergraduate students | 90.1% |
| Postgraduate students | 9.9% |
| International students | 249 |
| Faculty members | 1,787 |
| International faculty | 2% |
| QS Arab Region 2026 | 201–250 |
These figures make the university one of the large Libyan universities in terms of student and academic size.
An Analytical Reading of Al-Mergib University's Performance
1. Clear strength in regional presence
The university's presence in QS Arab Region 2026 within the 201–250 band confirms that it has become part of the map of Arab universities tracked by QS.
2. The band decline in QS requires explanation
The university moved from 171–180 in 2025 to 201–250 in 2026.
This does not necessarily mean an absolute decline in performance, as the ranking depends on relative performance against other universities, and the number of ranked institutions rose to 296 universities in 2026.
Therefore, the university's evaluation should be based on detailed indicator scores rather than position alone.
3. Scientific research represents a strategic opportunity
Figures related to citations and the university's presence in scientific research indicators point to a foundation that can be built upon. But for this foundation to translate into sustainable progress in QS and THE, it will be important to increase:
- Publishing in internationally indexed journals.
- Citations per paper.
- International research cooperation.
- The quality of researcher profiles.
- Joint research projects.
- The university's presence in international databases.
4. Internationalization is a point that needs strengthening
According to QS data, the proportion of international faculty members does not exceed 2%, while the number of international students stands at 249.
From a rankings perspective, the university can improve this aspect through international partnerships, exchange programs, joint research projects, and attracting international researchers and students.
Is Al-Mergib University internationally ranked?
Yes, but what is meant by ranking must be specified.
- in QS Arab Region 2026: The university is ranked 201–250 in the Arab region.
- in Webometrics January 2026: The university is 11,367 globally.
- in ARU 2025: The university is 117th in the Arab region.
- in uniRank 2026: The university is 11th in Libya and 11,055 globally according to the site's methodology based on web indicators.
As for THE World University Rankings, and the university's 2024 annual report noted its entry into the THE ranking for the first time as a Reporter, and not necessarily as a university with a numerical rank in the global THE table.
Conclusion
Al-Mergheb University one of the large public Libyan universities, founded in 1991, with its administrative headquarters located in Al-Khums, while its faculties are spread across Al-Khums, Al-Qarabulli, Msallata, and Qasr Khayar. It comprises a broad system of medical, engineering, scientific, and humanities faculties, and offers programs from bachelor's to master's and doctoral levels.
And in 2026, with its presence in QS Arab Region Rankings in the 201–250 Arab band representing the most important indicator of its regional ranking presence, while it ranked 11,367 globally in Webometrics January 2026.
From a strategic rankings perspective, the university has a large institutional size and a research base capable of growth, but opportunities to improve its ranking are particularly tied to converting this size into more impactful scientific research, higher citations, stronger international cooperation, greater internationalization, and a stronger and more transparent institutional digital presence.