Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) | Faculties, Programs, and International Rankings 2027
About Saint Joseph University of Beirut
The university is distinguished by an academic history spanning more than 150 years and a multilingual educational system, with a prominent presence of French, Arabic, and English, in addition to a wide network of international academic and research relations.
The university's main campus is located in Beirut, and the university also has an academic presence in other Lebanese regions, including Tripoli, Sidon, Zahle, and the Bekaa.
The university currently comprises 13 faculties, 14 institutes, and 9 specialized schools, covering the fields of medicine and health, engineering, sciences, law, economics, management, humanities, education, languages, and others.
Official website: Saint Joseph University of Beirut – USJ
History of Saint Joseph University
Saint Joseph University was founded in Beirut in 1875, and it gradually developed its academic institutions until it became one of the leading university institutions in Lebanon.
Among the most notable milestones in its history:
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1875 | Founding of Saint Joseph University in Beirut |
| 1883 | Founding of the Faculty of Medicine |
| 1902 | Founding of the Oriental Faculty |
| 1913 | Founding of the Faculties of Engineering and Law |
| 1976–1977 | Establishment of regional university centers |
| 2003 | Joining the Bologna Process |
| 2019 | Obtaining international institutional accreditation from ACQUIN |
| 2025 | Renewal of institutional accreditation from ACQUIN for 8 years without conditions |
The university affirms that its European institutional accreditation is part of its ongoing quality assurance and institutional improvement system.
Saint Joseph University in Numbers
| Index | Information |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1875 |
| University type | Private, public-utility |
| Main location | Beirut – Lebanon |
| Faculties | 13 |
| Institutes | 14 |
| Specialized schools | 9 |
| Students – THE data | 8,540 |
| International students ratio – THE | 13% |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 8.4 : 1 |
Some statistical figures vary according to the data year and the methodology used by the publishing body, so each figure should be tied to its year and source when used in databases or university pages.
Faculties of Saint Joseph University
The university comprises 13 faculties, the most notable of which are:
- Faculty of Medicine.
- Faculty of Pharmacy.
- Faculty of Dentistry.
- Faculty of Nursing Sciences.
- Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.
- Faculty of Law and Political Science.
- Faculty of Economic Sciences.
- Faculty of Management and Administration.
- College of Arts and Humanities.
- College of Science.
- Faculty of Education Sciences.
- Faculty of Languages and Translation.
- Faculty of Religious Sciences.
The university also includes a large number of specialized institutes and schools that expand the scope of its academic and professional programs.
Most Prominent Academic Specializations
Medicine and health sciences
is considered Medicine and health sciences One of the university's most prominent areas of historical strength.
The university's system comprises:
- Human medicine.
- Pharmacy.
- Dentistry.
- Nursing.
- Allied health specializations.
The university is also linked to a network of medical training and services, most notably Hôtel-Dieu de France, providing an environment for clinical education, medical training, and health research.
This field also appears in international rankings, where Times Higher Education the university was ranked in the 801–1000 worldwide in Medical and Health in the 2026 edition.
Engineering and Architecture
The university includes a specialized faculty in Engineering and Architecture, and offers programs in several engineering fields, including civil, electrical, and electronic engineering, among others.
Some of the university's engineering programs also hold international professional accreditations, as the Faculty of Engineering has programs accredited by ABET since 2017, according to the accreditation list published by the university.
This is an important element in assessing program quality, although professional accreditation is not equivalent to university ranking; each has a different function and methodology.
Sciences, Computing, and Artificial Intelligence
The Faculty of Science covers fields such as:
- Mathematics.
- Physics.
- Chemistry.
- Life sciences.
- Earth sciences.
- Computer science.
The university is also moving toward expanding its presence in artificial intelligence and data science, a field that could become an important element of its academic and research strategy in the coming years.
The university also features programs combining mathematics and data science, alongside initiatives related to artificial intelligence and its applications in education and medicine.
Economics and Business Administration
The university comprises:
- Faculty of Economic Sciences.
- Faculty of Management and Administration.
- Business administration programs.
- Economics.
- Finance.
- Marketing.
- Management.
In addition, USJ Business School obtained accreditation from AACSB in 2024, according to the university's academic accreditation data.
This accreditation is considered one of the important elements in assessing the quality of business administration education at the program and academic-institution level.
Law and Political Science
The university offers programs in:
- Law.
- Political Science.
- International Relations.
- Human rights.
- Public Administration.
- Political and administrative sciences.
This field forms part of the university's historical identity, as it founded the Faculty of Law in the early twentieth century.
Arts, Humanities, and Languages
USJ has a broad base in the humanities and languages, including:
- Literature.
- History.
- Philosophy.
- Psychology.
- Sociology.
- Languages.
- Translation.
- Arabic studies.
- Oriental studies.
Linguistic diversity is one of the university's distinguishing features, especially with the continued presence of French alongside Arabic and English.
Graduate studies and scientific research
The university has an extensive graduate studies and research system, including master's and doctoral programs and research centers and laboratories.
The university also participates in international research networks and projects and emphasizes in its strategy the importance of international cooperation and knowledge transfer.
From a rankings perspective, International research network represents one of the key areas in which the university should continue investing, as it allows international academic relations to be transformed into:
joint projects → joint publications → citations → international research impact.
Accreditation and Academic Quality
Among the most prominent institutional strengths of Saint Joseph University is its attainment of European institutional accreditation from ACQUIN.
The university obtained the accreditation in 2019, then renewed it in 2025 for eight years and without conditions.
The university also holds professional accreditations for a number of programs, including:
- ABET for some engineering programs.
- AACSB for the Business School.
- TEPDAD for the medical program.
This demonstrates the existence of two complementary levels of quality:
institutional quality + professional program accreditation.
Saint Joseph University in the QS World University Rankings 2027
=537 worldwide
This is the university's latest and most important result.
in QS World University Rankings 2027 Saint Joseph University ranked
at =537 worldwide
and with an overall score of 30.6 points according to QS data.
This represents a significant improvement compared to the 2026 result.
The university's trajectory in QS
| Year | QS World University Rankings |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 491–500 |
| 2018 | 491–500 |
| 2019 | =500 |
| 2020 | 561–570 |
| 2021 | 541–550 |
| 2022 | 531–540 |
| 2023 | 531–540 |
| 2024 | 631–640 |
| 2025 | 711–720 |
| 2026 | =618 |
| 2027 | =537 |
QS confirms that the university moved from 618 worldwide in 2026 to 537 worldwide in 2027.
Amount of improvement
618 → 537
that is, an advance of:
81 positions worldwide
in a single year.
This makes USJ one of the Arab universities that recorded a notable leap in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
What does USJ's rise to 537th worldwide mean?
It would be wrong to consider the 81-position rise merely a numerical result.
More importantly, the university:
- exited the 600+ category.
- approached the threshold of the top 500 universities worldwide.
- entered a more globally competitive range.
- strengthened its position among Lebanese universities.
Thus, it can be said that QS 2027 marks a new turning point in the university's trajectory, especially after the decline it witnessed in 2024 and 2025.
Saint Joseph University in QS 2027 Compared to Lebanese Universities
According to QS 2027 data, the top Lebanese universities placed in the world ranking as follows:
| The university is | QS World 2027 |
|---|---|
| American University of Beirut AUB | 223 |
| Lebanese American University LAU | 477 |
| Saint Joseph University USJ | =537 |
| Lebanese University | =626 |
| Beirut Arab University | =670 |
| Holy Spirit University of Kaslik | 761–770 |
| University of Balamand | 1001–1200 |
| Islamic University of Lebanon | 1201–1400 |
| Notre Dame University-Louaize | 1201–1400 |
Official QS data show that the Lebanese University, for example, declined from 515 worldwide in 2026 to =626 in 2027, while USJ improved from 618 to 537.
The important result
This means that In QS 2027, USJ became the third-best Lebanese university in terms of world ranking, after AUB and LAU.
QS Arab Region: What is the latest result?
A distinction must be made here between the two rankings.
The QS World University Rankings 2027 was already released in June 2026.
As for QS Arab Region University Rankings 2027 it had not yet been released as of September 1, 2026.
Therefore, no 2027 Arab-region figure should be listed for Saint Joseph University at present.
The latest available regional result:
QS Arab Region 2026: 35th in the Arab region.
The current QS page for Saint Joseph University shows Rank #35 Arab Region Rankings alongside its new world ranking =537 in QS 2027.
Accordingly, in the platform database of Top Arab Universities the following should be recorded:
QS World University Rankings 2027: =537 worldwide
QS Arab Region Rankings 2026: 35th in the Arab region
QS Arab Region Rankings 2027: not yet released
This is more methodologically accurate than carrying the 2026 result into the 2027 field.
THE World University Rankings
According to the latest available page from Times Higher Education, Saint Joseph University was placed in:
1501+ worldwide in THE World University Rankings 2026
It also appeared in the Medical and Health in the category:
801–1000 band worldwide
This result shows a large gap compared to QS 2027, where USJ sits at =537 worldwide in QS.
This gap is not necessarily a contradiction, as QS and THE use different methodologies, indicators, and weights.
THE Impact Rankings
The university also appears in the THE Impact Rankings, which measures universities' contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In the latest available data, it placed in the category:
401–600 globally
with stronger performance in some Sustainable Development Goals, especially areas related to health, innovation, and institutions.
Updated International Rankings Table
| Ranking | Year | USJ result |
|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings | 2027 | =537 worldwide |
| QS World University Rankings | 2026 | =618 |
| QS Arab Region Rankings | 2026 | 35th in the Arab region |
| QS Arab Region Rankings | 2027 | Not yet released |
| THE World University Rankings | 2026 | 1501+ |
| THE Medical & Health | 2026 | 801–1000 |
| THE Impact Rankings | 2026 | 401–600 |
QS officially confirms the result of =537 in 2027, while the THE page confirms the continued result of 1501+ in the 2026 edition.
Analysis of Saint Joseph University's Performance in QS 2027
1. An 81-position leap
The most important development in USJ's trajectory is its move from:
=618 → =537
that is, +81 positions in one year.
This improvement is far greater than a mere slight uptick in the ranking.
2. The university is now close to the top 500 worldwide
The gap between 537 and the top-500 worldwide threshold is now:
only 37 positions.
This makes reaching the Top 500 a realistic and strategic goal for the university in future editions, if it can maintain its improvement trajectory.
3. The previous decline makes the 2027 rise more significant
The 2027 result did not come after a continuous upward trajectory.
For the university had been at:
491–500 in 2017
then fallen to 711–720 in 2025.
Thus, the rise to =537 in 2027 represents a major recovery of the global standing the university lost over the preceding years.
4. The university's strength does not rely on research alone
The university's history, academic and professional reputation, and international network constitute important elements of its position in QS.
The university also has a dedicated unit for monitoring international rankings and officially participates in QS world, regional, subject, and sustainability rankings, in addition to THE rankings.
This is a very important point from the perspective of rankings management; participation in a ranking is not a seasonal activity but requires continuous management of data, reputation, and research performance.
Why can USJ reach the Top 500?
If the university maintains the current trend, reaching the top 500 universities worldwide could depend on five main pillars:
1. High-impact research
Increasing high-quality publications and international citations.
2. International research network
Converting international partnerships into joint publications and research projects.
3. Academic reputation
Leveraging the university's history, which spans more than 150 years.
4. Graduate employability
Strengthening relationships with employers and measuring graduate outcomes more methodically.
5. Medical and engineering specializations
Using the university's strength in medicine, engineering, and science as a foundation for developing research fields of international impact.
USJ in the 2027 Lebanese Landscape
The QS 2027 results present an interesting picture of Lebanese universities.
While AUB came in at 223 worldwide, andLAU at 477, USJ climbed to 537, ahead of the Lebanese University, which came 626.
This means that USJ is now third among Lebanese universities in QS World 2027.
More importantly, the gap between it and LAU is now only 60 positions, while its gap with the Lebanese University is now 89 positions.
This places USJ in a strong competitive position within the Lebanese higher education landscape.
Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) is a private Lebanese university of public utility founded in 1875, with an academic history spanning more than 150 years and an extensive system of faculties, institutes, and programs in medicine, engineering, sciences, law, economics, humanities, and other fields.
The most significant development in 2027 is its new result in QS World University Rankings 2027:
=537 worldwide
compared with:
=618 worldwide in QS 2026
meaning the university advanced 81 positions worldwide in a single year.
and thereby became the third-best Lebanese university in QS World 2027 after the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University, and ahead of the Lebanese University.
Regionally, the latest published result remains QS Arab Region 2026: 35th in the Arab region; and the 2027 regional result should not be recorded before its official release.
Strategic Assessment
The most important result is not only that USJ climbed 81 positions, but that it recovered a large part of its former global standing and is now only 37 positions away from the top 500 universities worldwide.
From a rankings-management perspective, reaching the QS Top 500 should be the university's natural next goal, but achieving it sustainably requires increasing research impact and citations, expanding the international research network, strengthening academic and professional reputation, and leveraging its strength in medicine, engineering, sciences, and internationally accredited programs.